A New Generation: Overexposure
by scotterson34
Summary: Sara Meyer has been a mermaid for around six months. But, when uncertainty and chaos crash into her life, she'll have to rely on her friends, her tail, and most importantly herself. But, Sara must make choices that might threaten everything she holds dear, and sometimes things are never as they seem. Sequel to H2O: A New Generation. Rated T
1. Introduction

This is the sequel to my other story, H2O: A New Generation. So, if you haven't read that yet I highly recommend you do that first before reading this one. There will be characters and storylines covered in that one that would be spoiled by this story. We'll be waiting!

Anyway, I wanted to start out with a character chart and summary of H2O: A New Generation. This will be good to get everyone up to speed on who is involved with the story and what has been going. And, it's a good refresher for my loyal readers who maybe haven't seen the first couple chapters of H2O: A New Generation in a while

 **CHARACTER CHART**

Sara Meyer: Seventeen year old mermaid, changed in the Moon Pool on Mako with Mia and Katy. From Gibbon, Nebraska, USA. Daughter to Paul and Karen Meyer. Dating Farley Davis. Confident and Tenacious, yet can sometimes be sarcastic and snarky. Powers include hydrokinesis, telepathy between mermaids, and aerokinesis. Revealed to be a mermaid to the public at the end of Part 1.

Farley Davis: Seventeen year old Merman, changed in the Moon Pool by a moonstruck Sara. From Brisbane, Australia. Dating Sara Meyer. Passionate and full of determination. Powers include a stronger hyrdokinesis, a weaker hydro-thermo kinesis and cryokinesis, and telepathy.

Mia Hobbs: Sixteen year old mermaid, changed in the Moon Pool on Mako with Sara and Katy. From Gold Coast, Australia. Dating Blake Everton. Sarcastic and charismatic, yet fiercely loyal. Powers include hydro-thermo kinesis, telepathy, and electrokinesis.

Katy Arlington: Sixteen year old mermaid, changed in the Moon Pool on Mako with Sara and Mia. From Gold Coast, Australia. Best friends with Mia since sixth grade. Dating Mitch Stevens. Incredibly loyal and cheerful, constantly happy-go-lucky. Powers include cryokinesis, telepathy, and controlling clouds and precipitation.

Blake Everton: Sixteen year old human male. Best friends with Mia Hobbs in elementary school and begins to date her after she saved him from drowning. From Gold Coast, Australia. Workout partner and best friend of Farley. Charismatic and perfectionist yet can be a bit altruistic.

Mitch Stevens: Seventeen year old human male. Used to be an outcast and loner after running away from home. Convinced by Katy to break out of his lonely shell. Dating Katy Arlington. From Gold Coast, Australia. Pessimistic, yet hard-working and caring.

Zane Bennett: Twenty-one year old human male. Owner and manager of Rikki's Cafe. Dating Rikki Chadwick. Has known about mermaids for several years. Mentor to the new mers. Creator of Operation Endgame. From Gold Coast, Australia.

Dr. Linda Denman: Thirty one year old marine biologist. Threatened mermaids years before but lost everything. Rebuilding her career with ethics and care for mermaids. Currently doing research with Sara while working at the Marine Park. From Australia.

Elliot Gilbert: Eighteen year old human male. Sister to Emma Gilbert. Intern and assistant to Dr. Denman, who he met while living in Tampa, FL, introduced by his sister. A bit naive, but he still cares for his work and wants to impress his older sister. From Gold Coast, Australia.

Laura Collins: Twenty one year old human female. Intern and assistant to Dr. Denman who she met at the University of Miami. Formulaic and by-the-book. Pseudo-mentor to Elliot, although annoyed by his naivety at times. From Miami, Florida, USA.

Paul Meyer: Forty six year old human male. Father to Sara Meyer. Former football player in college, and is quite tall and intimidating. An ardent family man, he cares deeply for his wife and daughter. Finds out Sara is a mermaid at the end of Part 1. From Omaha, Nebraska, USA.

Karen Meyer: Forty three year old human female. Mother to Sara Meyer. Cares deeply for her daughter, even though at times she can be over-protective. This causes stress between her and Sara. Finds out Sara is a mermaid at the end of Part 1. From Gibbon, Nebraska, USA.

 **SUMMARY OF H2O: The Next Generation**

Sara Meyer moves to the Gold Coast with her parents Paul and Karen from her hometown of Gibbon, Nebraska. She at first hates moving across the world to Australia. But, after meeting new friends Mia Hobbs and Katy Arlington, Sara begins to warm up to her new home. The three girls take a boat trip to Mako Island a few days after Sara arrives, mostly for Mia to spite her cousin, Zane, for always telling her to avoid the island. They get turned into mermaids after being in the Moon Pool under a full moon. After an initial shock and a rocky start, the three girls get used to having tails.

Farley Davis moves to Gold Coast from Brisbane, his new house directly across the street from Sara. They hit it off somewhat well, despite Farley being slightly awkward, with and he develops crush on Sara. Mia and Katy discover they have powers over water, but Sara can't figure hers out, sending her into a saddened state.

On a swim alone to the Moon Pool to clear her head, Sara finds she can move water with her mind and is delighted by her newfound powers. But, she's seen by Farley as a mermaid after he gets dared by Mitch Stevens to go to Mako Island. He makes a deal with Blake Everton to work with him to be more attractive and self-confident to get a chance to date Sara, as he believes he doesn't have a chance in his current state.

Katy gets recruited by Marian to spy on Mitch, her boyfriend, because she doesn't know anything about him outside of school. Katy does this and finds out Mitch lives in a run-down boat house all by himself. He catches her though, but they hit it off. They become friends after Mitch explains his situation to her, including how he started living in the boat house

The first full moon comes around and all three girls are unaware how it will affect them. They all get moonstruck quickly. Farley and Zane find them all moonstruck and try to get everything under control, eventually following the three girls to Mako. Farley leaves so the girls don't find out he knows about what they are. Zane informs Rikki Chadwick about the new mermaids and confronts Mia, Katy, and Sara the next morning. He tells them he'll keep their secret and leaves. Farley finally feels he has enough courage and asks Sara out that day.

Sara, Mia, Katy all have their first dates with Farley, Blake, and Mitch respectively. Farley surprises Sara by kissing her spontaneously, a move she thought Farley would never make. Mia forgives Blake for ending their childhood friendship and they start to talk again, and Katy and Mitch realize a mutual attraction, despite Mitch still dating Marian.

While discussing the dates in the Moon Pool, The girls are interrupted by Cleo Sertori, Rikki, and Bella Hartley. After an initial animosity at first, all six mermaids eventually find common ground and come to an understanding. Farley and Sara start dating officially.

Katy sees Mitch behind the girls' backs, giving suspicion to Mia, who while without Katy becomes a third wheel to Sara and Farley. Bella and Will see Katy and Mitch together at the boat house and report it to Sara and Mia who confront Katy about it. After an argument, Katy agrees to stay loyal to the girls instead of Mitch. Sara and Farley get into an argument after Farley pushes too hard trying to get Sara to talk about her secret.

Blake plays up his altruism, leading him to be captured by some criminals near some abandoned docks. They attempt to sink their boat to get rid of Blake and make it look like an accident. Blake almost drowns but is rescued by Mia, who reveals her mermaid abilities to him. He accepts her for what she is and they start dating officially.

The next full moon comes and all six mermaids are together. Mia gets moonstruck accidentally and texts Blake. He realizes that Farley has known about the mermaids for a while. They go to where the girls are, and Farley reveals to the group he's known about their tails for two months, prompting a big argument with Sara. In the chaos, Mia escapes to the sea. Katy gets moonstruck and escapes as well. Everyone goes after the two except for Sara who realizes how much Farley actually cares for her. The next morning, Farley and Sara talk about everything and come to an understanding. They continue dating.

Mitch questions Katy why they haven't been talking for awhile. Katy explains how she thinks Mitch is using her. Afraid to lose Katy, Mitch breaks up with Marian publicly. Katy goes to him and they rekindle their relationship, choosing to date officially now. Sara and Mia begrudgingly accept this as they see that Mitch might actually be genuine.

Sara, Mia, and Katy go to Sara's house to see that Sara's old friend Jenny is visiting from America. After an awkward dinner, Sara and Jenny hang out and relive old times. They realize how much they have drifted apart and how much Sara loves living in Australia. This is when Sara decides to fully accept her new life in Australia.

Mitch and Katy take their relationship to school for the first time, but they Marian's wrath. Nothing bad happens, so they think they're in the clear. Unfortunately, an accident at Katy's house leads to Mitch finding out Katy is a mermaid. He accepts her, although he's still somewhat skeptical. Too scared to think, Katy decides not to tell Mia and Sara about what happened.

After being in Australia for some time, Cleo, Rikki, and Bella return to the US for University. They give Sara, Mia, and Katy each a crystal necklace for good luck, as well as their blessing for protecting Mako. All seems well.

The girls wake up from the next full moon, and they don't remember anything at all. Blake and Farley aren't answering their phones. Katy reveals that Mitch knows about her, and they might try to ask him. Sara and Mia chastise her but decide it's their best shot. Mitch has found out they're all mermaids, and after being somewhat dismissive for being lied to, he tells them to get to Mako Island where they find out all three of them attacked Blake and Farley with newfound storm powers the night before. Scared of their new powers, the girls vow to not use them. In that midst, they find out they can also use telepathy to talk to each other when in mermaid form.

Dr. Denman, Elliot, and Laura are working in the Galapagos Islands. Denman finds a silhouette of a picture of a mermaid posted on the internet by Marian and her new boy, Aaron. She takes their group to Gold Coast to find out more, without telling Elliot and Laura the true nature of their journey.

Sara's birthday arrives and she turns seventeen. She gets into a fight with her parents about them being too overprotective, and her father even threatens Farley to make sure he treats Sara with respect. In her anger, she goes for a swim to cool down. She accidentally gets captured by Dr. Denman. Denman reveals that she doesn't want to hurt Sara and reveals she was in contact with mermaids before and ruined everything. She wants to do right by Sara and lets her go to make her own decision.

Confused and scared, Sara goes to Blake who agrees to be her confidant. They both go back to Denman and agree to do research on her mermaid abilities. Over the next few weeks of research, Farley and Mia become more suspicious of Sara and Blake being distant, so they confront the two of them. After an argument, Farley decides to go on a break from Sara, who is disheartened but ultimately agrees.

On the next full moon, the three mermaids stay apart. Unfortunately, Sara accidentally gets moonstruck again and goes to Farley's house. She keeps saying she wants to give him a gift in recompense for the way she's been acting, prompting Farley to follow her to Mako. Sara tricks Farley into the Moon Pool under the full moon.

The next morning, Farley realizes he's become a merman. In a panic, he goes to Zane for advice and eventually distances himself from Team Mako. After being reclusive for over a week, he decides to talk to Sara again, who's angry at his sudden and unexpected disappearance. In the argument, Sara throws water on Farley who just barely gets to a hiding place in time, but he is found out by Sara being a Merman. Sara touches Farley's fin, causing her to remember what she did to turn him into a merman, so she runs away thinking she ruined Farley's life. While she jumps into the sea, she's spotted by Marian who sees her with a tail.

Farley pulls Team Mako together and reveals he was turned into a merman. After a bit of animosity, mostly from Mia, the six of them go to Mako to search for Sara. Farley finds her using telepathy, and they make up. He forgives her for turning him into a merman. The both of them continue their relationship again.

All seems well, until the last day of school. At the Cafe before the end of year party, Marian tricks Sara and dumps water on her. Sara ends up getting revealed as a mermaid in front of the entire Cafe. Sara barely escapes the chaos by fleeing to Zane's office who reveals he has a plan for when a mermaid gets revealed. Sara quickly heads to Mako Island.

The rest of Team Mako, including Sara's parents, Denman, Elliot, and Laura meet up and all is revealed about everything going on. Despite the confusion, they all meet Sara at Mako Island. Zane arrives and tells them all to be ready for anything. Sara is rattled, but she pulls through. Sara looks at the people gathered there for her and decides she's ready to do what it takes.

And thus ends Part 1

Now get ready for part 2, A New Generation: Overexposure coming out soon!


	2. Chapter 1: Plan of Action

**So because I felt guilty that I basically teased everyone with releasing the story but only released the introduction, I am releasing chapter one. I really hope you like it :)**

 **Chapter 1: Plan of Action**

The Redemption pulled slowly toward the marina in the dark of night. Sara Meyer stared out over the inky black waters, unsure of what to think about her life anymore. She was revealed to the world to be a real-life mermaid. No matter what happened next, she would never to be able to live a normal life ever again. It didn't matter how hard she tried. Everyone knew what she was, and they'd never forget. She was a seventeen year old girl who had to shoulder the weight of the world now. Even so, she had good friends and family who were fiercely loyal to her and her struggle. That was the only thing she was clinging onto at the moment. That, and the small slimmer of hope that everything would turn out for the best and she would eventually be accepted by the world.

Sara sighed and went back inside the cabin. The group of people inside were crowded around together, watching a news broadcast on Elliot's tablet. "And no word on the whereabouts of the newly revealed mermaid, Sara Meyer," A Journalist spoke outside of Rikki's Cafe, the same as many they all had seen on the same type of broadcasts throughout the night. "Although, a press conference has been set up for her tomorrow morning by her supposed manager, Zane Bennett. Hopefully we all can get some more information about Ms. Meyer. But, until then we can only wonder who she actually is, why she's here, and what she wants with us humans. This is Carrie Jefferson reporting outside of Rikki's Cafe in Gold Coast signing off for now."

"They still don't seem to get it. I'm just a normal person, despite the mermaid thing." Sara stated. The group turned toward her in surprise.

"You are a normal person sweetie," Karen spoke up.

"I know that. You all know that. But… They don't know that," Sara gestured toward the outside world. "Everybody around the globe is making a judgement about me right now, and I bet very few are thinking that I'm actually a human girl. I bet they're thinking I'm some sort of magical creature like from the Little Mermaid! And that's being generous! They could think I'm some sort of monster."

"Then prove them wrong," Katy challenged. "Show them the smart, sarcastic, and tenacious girl we all know and love. They'll be sure to love you as well."

"You convinced me you were an amazing girl, and the mermaid part only made it better," Farley added. "You can easily convince the public of the same."

"Well to be fair, you did have a huge crush on me before you found out I was a mermaid," Sara bantered, easing up her anxiety.

"That is technically true," Farley stated, smile on his face.

Sara smiled as well. With everything going on, she still had Farley right by her side no matter what. What worried her was if Farley got revealed as a merman. Or, if Katy and Mia got exposed. No. This was her mistake, so it was her fight to deal with it. She had to keep the others out of it as best as possible. They couldn't take the fall because of her.

Denman pulled up slowly into an empty space in the marina just as the clock showed midnight. She killed the motor and walked back to the rest of Team Mako. "Ok. We're back in the Marina," She stated. "Let us all disperse calmly and quietly. We don't want to attract any undue attention to ourselves, especially tonight. Also, for you merpeople, no swimming. Walk home. We have no idea if people are scouring the waters looking for Sara, even though it's late as it is right now."

The group nodded. Mia and Blake departed the vessel down the gangplank and toward land with solemn expression. Mia hugged Sara one last time before she left. Farley turned to Sara in a moment, caressing her face in his hands. "Hey. Remember, we are with you no matter what Sara. I promise you I will do whatever you need me to do," Farley promised. "You're going to get through this. Keep the faith."

"Thank you Farley. You have no idea how much that means to me," Sara replied. Farley kissed her quickly, then he turned and exited the boat, walking home. At that time, Mitch unhitched Farley's boat, heading to drop it off at Farley's house so Farley wouldn't be splashed trying to drive his own boat.

Sara sighed. The Redemption seemed more and more empty now as all her friends departed. But, they at least had a plan for now. Sara was going to be staying at Katy's house for that night. The area around her house would most likely be surrounded by journalists. Being close to any reporters at all could be catastrophic, especially before the press conference the following morning.

Sara hugged her parents. "We are with you no matter what Sara," Paul stated. "We love you. And we always will." Sara nodded. She looked on through teary eyes as her parents unhitched the Hayseed and rode away, leaving her more alone than ever.

"Be careful tomorrow," Denman warned. "Zane and I will be there with you, but we don't know how any of the attendees are going to act. We must be cautious."

"I'll keep that in mind," Sara replied. "I just… I'm usually not the one who enjoys the spotlight. Even if everyone grows to accept me, I doubt I'll ever have a fully private life ever again. My life will turn into a reality show like Keeping up with the Kardashians."

"Well, they got rich from it so maybe you'll be as well?" Katy suggested, trying to think positively.

"Still… That's even the best case scenario. Will people even like me for what I am? Will they learn to appreciate and accept me?" Sara wondered aloud.

"Well, from personal experience seeing you for the first time, it can be quite a shock to see a real mermaid," Elliot explained. "But, I eventually got over it. The people will grow to love you."

"You were quite surprised about seeing a real mermaid," Sara joked, before turning serious. "But turns out I'm not the first one you've known. How are you feeling now after finding out about your sister?"

"A bit uneasy and unsure. I need to call her. Looks like we need to talk about everything that's happened over the past few years and why she's hidden it from me. I don't know what to say though."

"I wish you the best of luck talking to her," Laura joked.

"We all could deal with a healthy dose of luck right now," Sara put in. "Luck that people accept me, luck that Mia, Katy, and Farley don't get revealed as well, and luck for Elliot and his sister to find common ground."

"It'll all work out for the best. You've just gotta believe in it," Laura assured her.

Sara nodded. _I really, really hope you're right about this._ She thought to herself. Sara opened her phone to reveal a text from Zane. "I've brought the car around to the edge of the marina. Hurry here quickly before someone can spot one of us," it stated.

Sara nodded to Katy, and the two of them quickly stood and gathered their things. "I'll pick you up in the morning," Denman announced. "Zane will be prepping your press conference, and then we can begin."

"Thanks Doc," Sara responded, and she and Katy quickly scurried down the gangplank. Once on the dock, they quickly made their way out of the marina in the cover of night. The docks were mostly empty due to it being late, and they made it through without anyone spotting them.

Zane pulled his car up to the curb, and the two girls dove into the back seat, buckling into the seats. "Everything alright?" he asked, pulling away from the marina.

"Oh of course!" Sara shot sarcastically, "My life is ruined, I'll never have any privacy again, but I haven't been dissected yet. So, I got that going for me, which is nice."

"I'm sorry it turned out this way, Sara," Zane consoled her. "I truly am. But, that's why everyone is here for you. All of us. Even…. Denman…." Zane gritted as he spoke her name.

"Zane, I know you hate her. It makes me feel even weirder knowing that Rikki an Cleo were the mermaids she hurt years ago. But… She's here for me, just like you are," Sara responded. "And we all need to work together."

"I know. Maybe she has really changed. I don't know. But, for now there's more we have to worry about it," Zane added. "And, I'm at least able to tolerate working with her as long it's for you and she treats you with respect."

"What do you want the rest of us to do tomorrow? Like, Mia, Farley, and I for example." Katy asked.

"Stay out of sight. You, Mia, and Farley especially. I'll even throw Blake and Mitch in there for good measure because of their closeness to Sara. But, you mers need to stay out of the spotlight at all costs. We can't have you there and everyone start asking more questions, like seeing if Sara is the only mermaid, or if her best friends are ones as well," Zane explained. "It'll stop people from theorizing, at least for now."

"Sounds good to me," Katy replied.

"But still, you all will probably have to answer questions about your relationship to Sara eventually. I fear for Farley. I feel like dating you, Sara, will get him a lot of attention from paparazzi," Zane warned. "And not a good kind of attention."

"I trust Farley. I feel like he'll be safe and smart about everything," Sara defended.

"Even so, we must all be wary. You're probably going to be a celebrity after this, so you must be cautious about what you do and say," Zane advised.

"I hoped that wouldn't be the case, but I have a feeling that it's going to end up being true," Sara relented.

"Hey, we have a good plan of action in place. Now, we just need to execute it. Once that all goes well, everything will turn out ok," Zane explained. "You may become a celebrity, but at least people will love you."

"I sure hope you're right Zane. I really do," Sara spoke.

"Before we start tomorrow, is there anything else you want me to do. I'll do anything I can," Zane added.

Sara pondered for a moment. "I want you to ban Marian from any and all events I do. She purposely revealed me. For what, I don't know. Maybe for the fame and popularity. So, I want her to get nothing from me."

"I'll do what I can. You deserve that much Sara."

The rest of the car ride continued in silence, and soon Zane pulled up the car into the dark driveway of the Arlington household. The three of them sighed, each feeling the weight of their current situation, with Sara feeling the most dread. The next was going to test her mentally and physically.

Sara and Katy got out and entered into the house, careful to be quiet and avoid waking Katy's parents. They were leaving early the next morning on another business trip, so Sara and Katy just had to stay out of their way and they were good to go.

They both got into Katy's massive King size bed on opposite sides. Sara noted how soft it was and became slightly jealous of her. "Good night," Sara called as Katy turned off the light.

"Good night Sara," Katy replied, turning over. She was instantly asleep. Sara stared up at the ceiling above her. Tomorrow would be the biggest day of her life. Needless to say, she was basically terrified. _What am I going to do?_ She pondered to herself. _I guess I trust in myself, I trust in Zane, and I trust in my friends. That's all I can hope to do._

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Sara woke up peacefully, the glittering summer sun shining its way into Katy's bedroom, casting its light upon her face. Sara opened her eyes, staring straight upward towards the ceiling. And then, the memories of the previous day came flooding back into her. She shut her eyes for a minute, forcing the tears away, trying to steady herself. _I can do this. I can do this._ She reminded herself as she reopened her eyes, hopefully ready to face the day.

Katy yawned and rolled over. "Morning," she mused, still half asleep. Sara sat up and threw off the blankets.

"I'm going to take a quick bath, Katy, I hope you don't mind," Sara announced.

"Yeah...sure.. Just don't...mmbmkjdf...," Katy mumbled incoherently, falling back asleep instantaneously. Sara shrugged and went into the bathroom. Once the bathtub was filled, she hesitated for a moment, before lowering herself into the waters. She admired her tail once it appeared, adoring the way it glittered in the water. _No matter what happens. I'm never going to give this up._ Sara promised to herself.

Once clean and dry, Sara came back out into Katy's room where Katy was just barely sitting up in bed, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. "How are you doing this beautiful morning?" Katy asked when she saw Sara.

"About the same," Sara shrugged. "I still have this anxious feeling because I don't know how things are going to go today. I can only hope for the best at this time."

"Have faith Sara. It's gonna all work out!" Katy assured her.

"Oh Katy, your optimism literally knows no bounds. Seriously, it might not work out. But, I'm going to do my damnedest to make sure that doesn't happen."

Katy chuckled. "Who says damnedest anymore? Is this the 1950s?"

Sara chuckled alongside her, but she kept going. Within seconds Sara was rolling on the floor in uncontrollable laughter. Despite the joke not being that funny at all, it was the quick moment of humor that got to Sara, shattering the tension in her room. She couldn't help herself as she was laughing in hysterics.

Sara pulled herself up after a moment, looking at Katy's skeptical and confused face. "Thank you Katy. I needed that," Sara spoke. Katy just shrugged in response.

Sara dressed in her sundress from the night before. It wasn't dirty, and it was the best clothing she currently had, so she went with it. She put on makeup, hoping to look presentable, especially if she was going to be hounded by pictures and news cameras. It was the best thing she could do.

Sara and Katy jumped when the doorbell rang, spinning to each other. "Go check who it is," Sara spoke quickly. "I can't be seen by anyone here. Call me down if it's Denman though."

"Right," Katy replied, hustling downstairs. Sara waited in silence for a minute, heart beating rapidly. It could be a reporter. People knew that Sara and Katy were friends, and they'd want to question Katy about what she knew about Sara. "Sara, come down quickly. It's Dr. Denman," Katy called.

Sara was down the steps and to the front door in two seconds flat. She skidded to a stop, sliding right up to Denman. Dr. Denman had a serious and determined look on her face.. "Are you ready for today?" She asked Sara.

Sara gulped, forcing out courage and bravery. She fought bullies to lose weight. She moved to Australia without knowing anyone. She became a mermaid. This was what she could do. Sara was strong, powerful, and confident. "Well, whether I am or not, I need to do this," She replied with poise.

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Zane paced back and forth nervously in his office. He was wearing a nice suit, snug against his body. This all had to go right, for everyone. His mind flashed to Rikki and Mia, the two mermaids closest to him. He also pondered about Katy, Bella, Cleo, Farley, and even Emma. For all of the mers, this was of utmost importance. Sara being accepted was the biggest step for all the them to be able to live their lives mostly in peace, whether they went public or not. The press conference was going to begin in fifteen minutes, and he would walk out on stage and give his official statement on the matter. Then, Sara would come out when she arrived with Denman and give her statement followed by questions. It had to work. It had to...

Zane jumped as his cell phone rang. Heart racing, he saw that it was Rikki calling him. They had already talked about what happened with Sara, and no doubt the news would be all over the place by that morning. "Hello?" he asked nervously as he put his phone to his ear.

"Has it begun?" Rikki asked.

"No… No…. It's about fifteen minutes away…" Zane moved to the door and peered outside to a jampacked Cafe, with a large mass of reporters and journalists all trying to get a look at the mermaid when she arrived. "But, the Cafe is extremely crowded right now with people. This is a huge deal."

"Of course it's a huge deal. A mythological creature in real life? This is world class news, Zane," Rikki added sarcastically. "Don't take it so lightly."

"I know I know. I'm working on it. This affects everything we know."

"So don't screw it up then. Make sure Sara knows that as well. We're riding on you and her. Do us proud."

"I love you Rikki. No matter what happens, I will always love you."

Rikki paused for a moment. "Do right by Sara. Do whatever it takes to make sure she can be loved and accepted by people. That is the way you can prove your love to me."

"I'll do everything I can."

"Good luck!" Rikki replied, and the call ended. Zane stared at the phone in his hand, worrying about the future.

Just then, the back door opened, and Dr. Denman and Sara entered into the office, seemingly on edge. "Good. You made it," Zane stated. "The room is packed in there. Hundreds of people want to see you speak today."

"I know I know. Don't remind me," Sara replied. "This is gonna be a crazy day." She rubbed her temples, preparing herself for the stress.

"I just got off the phone with Rikki. She gives you and me her blessing in her own special way. But she warned us that it affects more than just you. All of the mers are riding on this."

Sara sighed. "Well, now or never. This is it," She put in.

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When it hit exactly 10:00 am, Zane strode out of the office. The audience began to hush as Zane walked up onto the stage where a table with microphones had been set up. Silently, Zane sat down at an empty chair on stage. He shuffled a few papers on the table.

The audience exploded with questions hammered at him. The cameras flashed and the journalists raised their voices. Zane held out a hand towards the crowd who began to calm themselves, and slowly the room became silent again. "Hello. My name is Zane Bennett, and I am the manager of and acquaintance to Ms. Sara Meyer. I would like to make my statement in regards to my association with Ms. Meyer at this time before we begin," Zane stated.

The journalists pressed in, eager to hear more. Zane cleared his throat, and began speaking from his prepared statement. "I met Ms. Meyer around six months ago. She had just moved to Gold Coast from Gibbon, Nebraska, in the United States. I became acquainted with her due to her friendship with my cousin. I found out about her secret some months ago by accident. We discussed about it and how it affected her life. Eventually, I became her friend and confidant."

Zane fell silent for a moment, switching his paper. He began again. "For all intents and purposes, Sara is a normal human girl. She loves sports, she goes shopping with her friends, she goes on dates with her boyfriend, and she deals with all the problems we deal with. She loves, laughs, cries, and hopes just like everyone in here today, and everyone watching at home. So, I implore you to treat her like a human; a human being who has a wonderful gift. Now, she wishes to show it to the world."

This was Sara's cue. She steeled herself, preparing for what might come. She exited the office, walking over to the stage. Any whisper in the crowd stopped immediately when they saw her. In absolute silence she climbed onto the stage and sat next to Zane, who greeted her with a hug, and he then left the stage to Sara. With all the courage and conviction she could muster, she said into the microphone. "I would like to speak to you all now."

 **So now we are returning to the story of Sara Meyer. I hope you all continue to read as we go forward. Again, stay connected by reviewing, following, and favoriting, and I'll be back soon with chapter 2!**


	3. Chapter 2: The Press Conference

**Chapter 2: The Press Conference**

The whole Cafe was silent. All the journalists attending the conference stared eagerly up at Sara, who casually took her seat next to Zane up on the stage. Despite the calm demeanor, Sara's heart was exploding from her chest. Two hundred people had crammed into the Cafe's main room, from news organizations all over Eastern and Southern Australia, all wanting to catch a glimpse of the newly exposed mermaid.

Sara pulled out her prepared statement nervously. She was going to read it slowly and carefully, just as Zane had instructed. It had to go perfectly well. Zane, Denman, and Sara had gone over what she could say such as how she became a mermaid, whilst avoiding mention of the other mers. It had to go right

Before Sara could begin, she saw a small amount of shuffling a few rows into the crowd. It caught her attention for a moment. "Hey mermaid! Catch!" sounded a voice below her. She had a moment of reaction before she saw an arching mass of water shoot toward her.

The whole crowd gasped as Sara jumped backward and to the right to avoid being splashed. Luckily, none of the drops splashed on her body. Instead it splashed harmlessly on her empty seat. Zane had jumped away too but he got a few drops on his sleeve which he brushed off easily

Sara walked to the next seat over which was dry and sat down. With all the courage and anger she spoke harshly, "I want whoever threw that water to immediately be thrown out of this establishment and banned from any further events involving me."

The crowd stared on in stunned silence. The security stepped up quickly, grabbing the protesting man and dragging him out of the room. Sara cleared her throat when the room was silent again. "That was an interesting start, I will say," She quipped, and the room laughed a bit. "I would like to make my statement first, and afterward I will open up the floor to questions," Sara began slowly. She paused for a moment before continuing. "I know you're all here to learn more about who and what I am. You're curious and wanting to know about my… abilities… specifically what happens with me when I touch water."

Sara gulped. "It is true. I am a mermaid." The whole crowd gasped and began murmuring amongst themselves. "However, that wasn't always the case. I wasn't born as one. I was born an ordinary American girl from Gibbon, Nebraska. I was transformed into a mermaid some months ago, which I had no choice in the matter." Sara nervously looked at the prepared story. She needed to tell these people how she became a mermaid, but telling them the actual truth would be catastrophic.

"I went on a boating trip with a few friends not too long after I moved here to Gold Coast. During that trip, I accidentally fell out of the boat after hitting a nasty wave. At the time, I had no idea how to swim. Ironic since I'm currently a mermaid, but I digress. My friends had missed me in the darkness. Alone and afraid, I sunk beneath the waves, believing I was going to die…" Sara added a fake tear, hoping to add to the effect. "Then, there was this bluish glow that came to me, followed by a flash of light. I thought it was just my imagination, but the next thing I knew I was back in the boat with my friends coughing up seawater. It wasn't until the next morning when I got into the shower that my tail appeared and it became clear to me that I am a mermaid. I have no explanation and knowledge as to where the glow and light come from. And still, I have no idea why it happened. All I know is that it turned me into a mermaid, and I've been one ever since."

Sara fell silent as the murmuring continued. Sure her explanation had been a lie, but it wouldn't be like they had a reason to doubt her story. They had to believe her! She held her hand to quiet the room and cleared her throat. "I will now answer some of your questions," Sara stated.

The room exploded, as journalists threw their hands up, trying to fight for Sara's attention. Almost overwhelmed, Sara pointed to a journalist towards the front of the stage. "Hello, I'm Heather Burns from the Brisbane Gazette," the journalist spoke, "Why have you decided to come out publicly as a mermaid now?"

Sara sighed. "For all my time being a mermaid I had considered going public. I felt like whatever time wouldn't be right, and I was afraid I wouldn't be accepted as what I am. Unfortunately I was not given that luxury as I was revealed in a public place. But now, after what has happened, I want to show the world who I truly am. I am real. I am here. And I exist." Sara's heart was still beating, but it felt good giving her answer. She felt powerful up on the stage and confident. This, despite always hating the spotlight. _This is kinda fun!_

Another round of hands flew up, and Sara pointed at a balding man in his late thirties. "Yes, How have you been holding up being the only mermaid? You must get lonely sometimes out in the sea by yourself," the man spoke.

"Yes, it can be lonely swimming in the sea…" Sara began. "There are times where I wish I had someone to share my abilities with…" She completely lied to everyone. But talking about the other mermaids would have been disastrous. Sara needed to give the others time to decide when they wanted to come out as well.

"But surely there must be someone who you confide in," the man responded.

"You have a boyfriend correct?" A journalist asked.

"Yes! Tell us about that! Who is he?" Added another.

A drop of sweat trickled down Sara's back. _I can't talk too much about Farley… People might find out about him being a merman! But… I have to tell them something._ "His name is Farley. He moved here from Brisbane about a week after I did." Sara spoke. "He's very nice and determined. When we we first met, he had such a huge crush on me. He was slightly awkward, but in a cute way. Over the next month he started working out to impress me. And, well it certainly worked. And, eventually I fell for him as well."

Sara cleared her throat and continued. "Farley is a fantastic boyfriend and a great person. And I am proud to be dating him." Murmurs grew from the crowd. Sara continued smiling. She was proud to share her relationship that way, talking about Farley. She felt like she was beginning to be able to be herself.

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Farley paced back and forth in the Meyers' living room. The other members of Team Mako, including himself were all there watching the Press Conference on television. Paul and Karen were sitting closest, watching with wide eyes. Katy and Mia sat on the other couch, their eyes glued as well on the television, full of anxiety. The rest were milling about, as Farley continued his pacing up and down, waiting for Sara to come on screen.

"This is insane," Farley burst out nervously. "We're all screwed."

"Farley, relax," Blake stated. "You need to be anxiety-free for Sara. She needs you."

"What happens if people start questioning the rest of us if we have tails as well?" Farley questioned. "You don't have to worry about that Blake, but Katy, Mia, and I could potentially be exposed."

"Farley, please you're not helping," Mia added.

Before Farley could respond, their attention was switched to the press conference, as someone threw water up at Sara. They watched in awe at Sara's calm demeanor as she told off the attacker. Sara sat down and began reading her statement. A sense of calm seemed to wash over the room as Sara seemed to hit all the right notes without exposing the rest of them. Even Farley slowed his pacing and chose a spot on the couch next to Katy.

"Ok… This is starting well… Besides that whole water thing," Karen stated. "Oh… I just hope Sara is doing ok up there."

"She's doing great honey. Don't worry," Paul assured her.

They continued watching Sara's statement, and when she finished, she began getting into questions. Farley put his head down for a moment. He perked up again when he heard his name being spoken. "...proud to be dating him," Farley heard Sara say. He smiled when he heard that.

"How does he feel to be dating a mermaid like yourself? And how did he find out about you?" a reporter asked Sara.

"He found out about me sometime a bit after our first date," Sara lied. "It was by pure accident. He came over to my house, and I wasn't quite ready yet. So, he waited patiently in my room while I finished up in the bathroom. Unfortunately, the sink in my bathroom sprayed me. Before I could get dry, I turned into a mermaid and fell onto the bathroom floor. Farley heard my fall and ran over to the bathroom in a panic, thinking I had injured myself. I tried to yell at him not to come in, but it was too late. He opened the door and saw me in my tail right then and there. I was so scared. He was the first one to find out about my secret, even before Zane. But, instead of being frightened, he became curious about my abilities. This secret was something I could share openly with him, and that truly connected us."

Farley beamed at the TV as Sara spoke great things about him. Even so, the story she told was a complete lie, and he committed it to memory so he could corroborate it. This only caused more anxiety. She was talking too much about him, which means reporters would want to talk to him. More journalists meant more chances for water to be splashed on him. Not only that, Sara had told multiple lies on stage. Sure it was to protect the rest of them, but how far would journalists go to find out the real truth? And how much did the rest of them have to remember that were lies?

"Wow she must actually like you," Mia joked to Farley, lightly punching him in the shoulder.

"As much as I appreciate it, I don't really want to be a part of the spotlight," Farley returned.

"You're gonna be a part of it no matter," Elliot interrupted. "You're the bloke who convinced a mermaid to date you. Men all over the world are gonna wonder what your secret is. Magazines, talk shows, websites..."

"Alright mate I get it…" Farley grumbled. "I just want this all to blow over soon."

"Not for a long time I fear," Katy stated. "But when it does, we can all live normal lives again."

"It'll be hard to live normal lives after this. And we kinda stopped being 'normal' when we became mermaids," Mia countered.

"Even so, I… think I want to come out publicly eventually," Katy stated strongly.

All eyes shot to her. "You can't be serious!" Mia exclaimed.

"I am serious! Mia, Farley, no longer would we have to worry about being splashed, we wouldn't have to worry about being exposed. And, if Sara gets accepted and loved by the world at large, that means we will as well," Katy argued.

"It does make some sense. Only slightly though," Farley agreed, lightening up his anxiety. "I just… We need to be careful about this. Once it's out there, we can't take it back." The three mers contemplated to themselves. It would appear they would just have to wait and see what might happen.

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Sara stared out over the crowd assembled in front of her. The press conference had gone on for almost half an hour now, and the questions just kept coming. It had to end soon though. Denman had given her a time deadline to answer questions. Sara kept track through a small watch she kept on her lap while she went about talking. It was about time to end it.

"What's the best thing about swimming in the ocean?" Another reporter asked.

Sara wanted to roll her eyes, but instead she bit the inside of her lip to stop herself from doing it. It was so similar to other questions that had already been asked, and she felt slightly annoyed. She forced herself to a smile, adopting a light-hearted demeanor to answer the question.

"I would have to say the freedom of it all. I can go anywhere I wish under the water, and it is quite beautiful. Being from Nebraska, I could never experience something like that before. The ocean is an amazing place and I am happy to be able to swim anywhere I please. The water relaxes with me whether I go, and I feel like I can truly be myself." Sara stated. _Still… It feels good to finally talk about all this._

Another round of hands went up, hoping to ask a question of the mermaid once again, but Sara only raised her hand to quiet the crowd. "Unfortunately, that is the end of question time for now," She stated. "Instead, I would like to invite someone else up to the stage." Whispers went out in the crowd as Dr. Denman walked up onto the stage and sat next to Sara.

"Hello, my name is Dr. Linda Denman. I am a marine biologist. As well, I am Sara Meyer's co-manager and scientific advisor," Denman stated. "Sara and I have been working together for around a month finding out exactly how her mermaid condition affects her body."

Sara nodded, affirming Denman's statements. "I can assure you all, Ms. Meyer is no threat to anyone. She is only different. She is, so far as I can tell, a normal human girl who grows a scaly tail when exposed to liquid water," Denman continued. "I will be publishing a report in the coming months about my research with Ms. Meyer detailing her mermaid ability."

Denman nodded to Sara, and this was her turn again. Sara read the paper in front of her and sighed. She wasn't sure if she was ready for the next step, but it was what was necessary. Despite her being unsure, she spoke confidently. "This will conclude the press conference. However, myself as well as Mr. Bennett and Dr. Denman would like to invite those with certified press passes to the Marine Park. Starting at 1:00 pm I will be giving a… demonstration of my mermaid ability."

The Cafe erupted in noise as the journalists began arguing with each other as to what would happen at the Marine Park. During that time, Sara and Denman stood up and quickly made their way back to the office. They gathered their things, and exited toward Denman's car.

Denman pulled quickly away from the Cafe before they were spotted by departing journalists. "Are you ready for actually showing yourself to the world?" Denman asked to Sara.

Sara laughed. "Everyone has asked if I'm 'ready' for what lies ahead," Sara replied. "I hate being asked that question. Because it doesn't matter. I have to do this, no matter what. Whether I'm ready or not is irrelevant."

 **Yay for a new chapter. I'm keeping them coming out in a steady stream for when you're ready for them. Just as a heads up, A New Generation is set over a six month period. I'm not sure how the time will be for Overexposure, but I can say that there is a lot less passage of time for this story. But, I hope you'll stay invested as the story progresses.**


	4. Chapter 3: A Public Display

**And now, Chapter 3!**

 **Chapter 3: A Public Display**

Sara and Dr. Denman walked casually through the back entrance to the Marine Park, away from any onlookers or reporters. Denman quickly headed for an office close to the dolphin area of the Park, still within areas only accessible by staff. Sara just followed behind. Denman worked in the Marine Park, and it was best to let her take the lead. Sara still kept her mind on the incoming demonstration she would give 's what worried her the most.

Sara and Denman entered the office to see a darker skinned man scowling as he sat behind a desk. He was looking downward at a laptop screen in front of him. His eyes moved up when he saw the two enter, and he immediately jumped up in elation. "Oh my god… You're Sara Meyer! The mermaid! Dr. Denman told me you would be coming here today but….Wow to see you in person… This is amazing," he rambled.

"Uh… Thank you?" Sara spoke, quite confused as she shook his hand. She looked up to Denman for explanation.

"Sara, this is Laurie, one of my most trusted associates here at the Marine Park. And Laurie… Well, it appears you already know who Sara is," Denman introduced them.

"Of course. I was just watching the whole press conference. I am definitely impressed by everything. And wow, to actually meet you… That's amazing. As a marine biologist this is huge for the advancement of our field" Laurie stuttered.

"Is everyone going to act like this on meeting me?" Sara asked to Denman.

"It's possible. Better for them to be starstruck rather than fearful or angry," Denman suggested.

"I suppose you're right. I want people to accept me, so I'll take it for now. Ok, what's the plan for today?" Sara asked.

"Well, Laurie has been setting up the main tank that is usually used for Dolphin shows for you. Basically you're going to give two shows. One coming up soon, and the other one about an hour after the first. You hop in, swim around for a bit and show your tail, do whatever you want, you talk about how awesome it is being a mermaid, you get out, dry off, your legs reappear, wave goodbye and that's it." Denman quickly explained. "I would say it isn't too strenuous."

"I guess that doesn't sound so bad," Sara relented. "Might feel good to show how I can swim. The only time people have really seen me in my tail is on the Cafe floor, which was really undignified. That was… I don't want to talk about it."

"Sure surprised the world though," Laurie added. "So many people have been talking about it. Have you checked social media at all?"

"No way. I logged out of all my social media and disappeared off the internet. I don't want to see at all what people are saying about me. It just makes me sick just thinking about it."

"Everyone's going crazy about you! You've become an instant celebrity."

"That's what I feared. Everyone is probably scared and hating me," Sara moaned.

"Are you kidding? So many people love you. You already have a fan club page started with over fifty thousand members!" Laurie raved.

"Really? I… How?" Sara was increasingly bewildered.

"I don't know. You're something the world has not yet seen before," Laurie added. "People had seen mermaids in movies and on tv, probably when they were kids. To see that actually be real makes people think of their childhood again? I don't know."

"But it hasn't been that long since I was revealed. It's been less than a full day... I'm gonna wait much longer than that before I decide if everyone likes me or not," Sara spoke.

Just then, the office door burst open. Sara spun in defensive position anticipating a flood of reporters, only to see Mia and Katy push past and run straight at her. "SARA!" they both shouted and hit her with a massive group hug. Farley stepped in after them, followed by the rest of Team Mako.

Sara began to tear up. "You guys made it," she stated. "I… I'm so glad you all are here."

"We wouldn't miss it for the world," Katy affirmed.

"We watched your whole press conference on TV," Mia added, "You were pretty awesome up there."

Sara moved on to Farley, who stepped up and kiss her passionately, much to the chagrin of her parents. He released her quickly. "I heard what you said about me," he swooned. "I'm glad you tolerate me so much."

"I only spoke what I truly felt," Sara spoke, staring up into his eyes. Sara moved away from Farley and onto her parents, who hugged her close.

"You were so brave today Sara. You looked confident and determined. We couldn't be more proud of you," Karen stated.

"As much as I hate to admit, it was kinda fun," Sara replied. It felt good to have her friends and parents there supporting her. She released her parents and turned to the rest of the group.

Just then, Zane's phone rang. "It's Rikki again. I wonder what she wants," He gulped, placing the phone gently up to his ear. "Hello?"

"WHY THE FUCK IS DENMAN INVOLVED WITH SARA YOU STUPID PIECE OF ABSOLUTE SHITE?!" Rikki screamed into the other end. What followed was a barrage of anger and hatred coming from the other line. Even without being on speaker phone, everyone in the office heard every word, and they all shifted uncomfortably. Sara lost count at how many f-words were shouted by Rikki after the first dozen.

When the tirade subsided, Zane spoke calmly and collectively into the phone. "Would you like to speak to Sara about this? I think she might want to explain a few things. She's the one that trusts Denman." Zane nodded, listening to Rikki, then handed the phone to Sara. "My girlfriend would like a few words with you. Don't worry, she promised not to scream at you."

Sara nervously placed the phone up to her ear. "H-hello?" She stammered, scared of how Rikki might respond.

"So… You're involved with the Devil Doctor herself huh?" Rikki spoke blatantly.

"I'm… assuming you're talking about Dr. Denman…"

"Of course I'm talking about Denman! Who else did you think I'm talking about? Sara, why the hell are you involved with her! You have to know the story of what she did to us!."

"She told me everything. The whole story. Even the first time I met her, when it was pretty clear that telling me that story would make her look evil and terrible. She seemed truly regretful and sorry over what she'd done."

"That's what she wants you to think! She's a manipulative and conniving bitch! You can't trust her!"

"Then why did Emma allow her brother to become her assistant! Oh yeah, I know about Emma Gilbert, and I know what happened to you, her, and Cleo. She forgave Denman enough to let Elliot work for her. Would you like to speak to Elliot? Have him corroborate my story?" Sara blasted.

The line was silent for a moment. Rikki shifted gears. "Alright fine, let's say for all intents and purposes that she has changed and you trust her. How did you meet her? And, why is she your scientific advisor?"

Sara quickly and nervously explained the story about how she was caught by Denman, following with Denman's story of redemption, and how it lead to the present day. Surprisingly, Rikki stayed unusually silent during the entire story. When Sara finished, the line went silent for a moment. "Are you still there?" Sara asked.

"Give Denman the phone," Rikki commanded. "I would like to speak with her."

Sara turned, handing the phone to Denman. "She wants to talk with you," Sara stated anxiously.

Denman gulped. "I had a bad feeling this would be coming eventually," She said, putting the phone up to her ear. For a few minutes, silence continued. Rikki didn't seem to be yelling as the others couldn't hear her. Denman kept nodding and agreeing throughout the entire conversation. Soon, the call seemed to end, as Denman said bye and hung up the phone, handing it back to Zane.

"What did she say?" Katy asked.

"She… will allow us to continue as planned. She doesn't trust me at all, but she knows that Sara trusts me. And… I guess that's good enough for her. However, she did say that if I ever double crossed any of you, she'd boil me alive. Which, I wouldn't doubt at all," Denman explained.

"Sounds like something she'd do," Mia joked.

"Can I please ask who you people are all?" Laurie interrupted.

Everyone turned stunned at him. They had all forgotten everything about him being in the room. Denman seized advantage and pulled him up. "Everyone, this is Laurie. He is my most trusted scientific partner here at the Marine Park," Denman stated. "Laurie, this is our little team. We're all here in support of Sara."

"Are all of you mermaids?" he questioned, surprised look on his face. 

"Of course not," Mitch snapped. "Don't try to assume anything about us."

"Whether they are or not, Laurie, nothing spoken in here must leave this room. Do not betray my trust," Denman warned. "Your discretion will be rewarded."

"Wow this is… Wait, then are some of you mermaids at least?" Laurie asked.

"Laurie, don't ask questions you don't want the answers to," Denman added again. "All you need know is that Sara is one, and you and I are going to work with her on the show today."

"Don't condescend to me Linda. I'm a strict professional such as yourself, and not some starstruck fanboy or greedy backstabber. But, I suppose you're right. However, I would like to speak with you after the event if I may."

"And we shall, but for now, the demonstration will begin soon, and we need to prepare," Denman stated.

"What do I need to do now for that?" Sara asked.

"You don't need to do anything yet. They're getting everything prepped out there," Laurie stated, gesturing toward the window. Sara peered outside and gasped. In front of her was a large pool, seemingly normal for dolphin shows. However, beyond that was the stands, crowded with people, mostly journalists, eager to see the mermaid in action. Sara began to feel her knees weaken at the seeing the massive amount of people crowding into the stands. She grabbed the window frame to support herself before strength returned to her legs.

"Oh my god. There are so many people out there right now wanting to see me…" Sara trailed off. "What am I going to do…"

The others rushed to the window as well. "Now this is getting ridiculous," Farley stated.

"No shit sherlock," Laura berated.

"Listen minion, we have to work together on this," Farley fired back. "Plus, it's Mia's job to make the sarcastic comments."

"Yeah. Take that! Wait… What?" Mia spoke.

"Come on. Let's all relax," Blake suggested. "We can't fight among us. Besides this is what we need to do."

"I just hope such a public display of Sara's abilities will lead people to love her. One less thing to worry about," Katy spoke.

"What are the rest of us going to do while Sara's doing her thing out there?" Farley asked.

"The rest of you are going to go to the backstage viewing area," Denman explained. "It'll give you all a clear view of the demonstration without having you hassled by the crowd of journalists. Laurie will guide you there."

Laurie nodded, and he guided the others away toward the viewing room, leaving Denman and Sara alone in the office. Sara solemnly stared out the window as even more patrons crowded into the stands. "Cheer up Sara, They're going to love you," Denman stated.

"Maybe so… I don't know… This whole thing is just too bizarre…" Sara replied.

"And being a mermaid isn't bizarre enough on its own?"

Sara chuckled. "Alright you got me there. How much longer have I got before I'm on?"

"About twenty minutes or so."

Sara nodded. She would be ready.

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Twenty minutes later, Sara steadied herself. It was time. Laurie had returned from delivering the rest of Team Mako to the observation room. Denman stepped up to the main door leading out onto the pool deck. "Ok Sara. This is it. Are you…"

"Yeah whatever. I'm ready. I told you I hate being asked that," Sara responded quickly. "I'm good. Let's fucking do this."

"Ok. Let's go," Denman replied. Sara nodded, and the two of them stepped out of the door and into the blinding sunlight. As soon as they both stepped out onto the deck, the talking stopped, and the entire crowd grew silent. Sara cautiously stepped toward the pool with hundreds of eyes on her. She looked toward Denman hopefully, who grabbed a headset from Laurie and placed it on her head.

"Greetings ladies and gentlemen!" Denman spoke through the headset, magnifying her voice through the speaker system. "It is my privilege to introduce the mermaid, Sara Meyer!" Sara couldn't help but beam as the entire crowd burst into applause and cheers, all for her. She quickly covered her smile and replaced it with a calm demeanor. "Ms. Meyer will now give a demonstration of her abilities."

Feeling courage, Sara placed her hand into the air to quiet the crowd, who stopped the applause short, eager to see what would happen next. Sara returned her gaze to Denman, who nodded at her in response.

Sara gazed out over the water of the pool. Gathering all the strength and courage she could, Sara dove straight into the pool. Under the water, her tail appeared after ten seconds. _Ok…. This is it…._ Sara thought to herself. Swimming forward toward the edge of the pool closest to the crowd, Sara broke the surface, crawling onto the solid ground. She used her strong core to lift her tail up behind her in full view of the stunned crowd.

For several seconds, the pool was silent as the hundreds of attendees stared at Sara in shock and silence. Then, an enormous and deafening roar of cheers and applause came from the crowd. Sara looked out and saw all the people on their feet, cheering her on while cameras flashed all around her. Sara smiled and waved out at the crowd, who responded with another round of cheers and celebration.

Sara flipped backward into the pool. _I might as well show off to everyone._ She thought to herself, while simultaneously sending the message telepathically to Mia, Katy, and Farley, knowing it would make them slightly jealous of her. For the next ten minutes, Sara swam around the pool multiple times, showing off her speed and swimming skill. There was even a window near the bottom of the pool where multiple people including several wide-eyed children had crowded around to get a clear view of Sara. She waved at them as she flew past.

Sara had an idea pop into her head. She stayed down toward the bottom of the pool. A red light flashed underneath the water, which was Denman and Zane's way of letting Sara know that she needed to return to the surface. She wanted to try something first.

Steadying herself, she pushed off against the bottom of the pool, and within two tail strokes, she broke the surface, soaring into the air, high above the pool. She peaked at about fifteen feet in the air. _Oh shit…._ Sara panicked as she began falling toward the pool again. She formed herself into a dive position and shut her eyes!

SPLASH! Sara hit the water with tremendous force. Luckily, she had gotten into the dive position quickly, and instead of taking the brunt of the force, she slid relatively easily back under the surface. A rush of adrenaline hit Sara as she slowly recuperated. _I think that's enough excitement for one day._ Sara returned to the surface. She took a second to clear her head as she made her way toward the back edge where Denman was waiting, headset in hand.

"That was amazing," Denman whispered to Sara, "That last jump was incredible! How did you manage it?"

"I don't know… I've seen dolphins do it before, so I thought I could do it easily. That landing hurt though," Sara joked. Denman handed the headset to Sara. "What do you want me to do with this?" She asked.

"Talk to the crowd. Say some things," Denman suggested. "They all love you. This will make you seem more human. And don't worry. It's waterproof."

Sara grabbed the headset out of Denman's hand and placed it over her head. "Hello everyone!" She spoke cheerfully into the microphone. The crowd roared with applause and cheers. Sara had to admit that it felt really good. "I want to thank you all for coming out today to witness my abilities." As the crowd cheered around here, even louder than before, Sara began to feel better. For the first time since being revealed, she felt positive about the future.


	5. Chapter 4: Ain't no Rest for a Mermaid

**Back again! Special shoutout to Czechm8 and MermaidGirl585 for their awesome reviews of my story. It's great readers like these two that motivate me to keep writing. I also have planned out the rest of the story, and I'm really excited for what's in store going forward. But now, Chapter 4!**

 **Chapter 4: Ain't no Rest for a Mermaid**

Farley and the rest of the gang looked down onto the Marine Park pool from the backstage viewing room. It was a small space, devoid of much furniture besides a few chairs and a table with a computer. Not that anyone wanted to sit, however, as they all were pacing nervously at the front windows. The first demonstration had not started yet, and they were all waiting anxiously in anticipation.

Elliot was at the computer, pulling various news sites from Australia as well as America and Europe, trying to key into what everyone was saying about Sara across the world. "It seems almost every western news agency has sent someone to Gold Coast to find out more about Sara, or they are least discussing something about mermaids," Elliot spoke. "There are reporters and journalists here from the States, Canada, The UK, Germany, Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, Mexico, Ireland, Spain, Argentina…"

"Alright we get it already," Farley interrupted angrily.

"This is getting so much bigger than we anticipated," Katy complained.

"Anticipated? I don't know what you anticipated, but we had no idea what to expect. That's why we're winging it here," Mia fired back.

"What are all the news sites saying?" Blake asked to Elliot, changing the subject and trying to avoid an argument.

"Mostly a lot of speculation right now. They keep going over the same footage from Sara's press conference over and over again. Social media is blowing up though. So many people are talking about her right now," Elliot responded. "Over a million tweets and counting, and that's just been since the end of her press conference."

"What's the general consensus?" Farley asked, stepping away from the window and looking over Elliot's shoulder.

"Mostly positive, so far as I can see," Elliot replied. "At least a large majority of the more popular tweets are positive. That's at least a good sign."

"I always loved the little mermaid as a child… Turns out it's actually a true story!" Farley read a tweet aloud to everyone in the room, who responded with mostly groans with a few chuckles from Katy.

"That is better than what the alternative is. Even so, this is why we need to make Sara more open to seem more human. The more they know about her, the less they have to fear," Zane explained. "Speculation can't be a good thing."

"He's right…" Mitch added. "Many people fear the unknown. That fear leads to anger, and anger leads to hate."

Katy put her arm around Mitch. "Awww…. I'm glad you know such wise proverbs," she teased.

"I literally just quoted Star Wars. But, I'm glad you loved it anyway," Mitch joked, kissing Katy.

"First of all, Mitch, Katy. Please save us your PDA," Farley joked. "And second, this is about Sara, and we have to make sure she's accepted as a whole by the public. Whatever the cost may be."

"It's starting!" Mia announced. Farley and Elliot rushed towards the windows. They heard Denman announcing Sara forward. Farley looked out to the crowd to see them roaring with applause.

They looked down below to see Sara dive into the pool. When her tail appeared, she began to swim around the pool for several minutes, culminating in a massive leap out of the water many feet into the air. "We can do that?" Farley announced aloud.

"Of course!" Mia joked. "Oh you've only had a tail for a couple weeks. There's so many things you don't know."

"Oh please, I'm guessing Sara's the first one who actually tried something like that," Farley bantered back.

Farley was interrupted by Sara's speech. "Hello Everyone! I want to thank you all for coming out today to witness my abilities." Sara spoke. The rest of them heard through speakers in the room. "I've waited for some time to reveal myself to the world, unsure if it would be the right choice. Yet still, I want to thank you all for your excitement, love, encouragement, and acceptance." Sara steadied herself for a moment. "Thank you for coming to watch me today!"

There was a collective sigh of relief in the viewing room as the group seemed to relax. The first demonstration had gone very well. "I'm so proud of our daughter," Karen stated confidently, with Paul right by her side.

"She did well," Katy stated. "She's doing us mers proud."

"Now you're just making us seem like we're not truly human," Mia spoke.

"Well, we're different Mia, and still it's important that through Sara, we can eventually find acceptance," Farley argued.

"I still don't want to go public though. Not for a while at least," Mia responded.

"Let's hope we actually get to make that choice," Farley trailed off.

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Sara had gotten dried off down below at the pool, standing up to her feet. She refused to use her powers to dry herself following Zane's advice, hoping that it wouldn't lead to people being frightened by her abilities. She waved backwards at the roaring crowd, following Denman back through the staff door and into the corridor.

"That was amazing!" Sara beamed to Denman once they were back inside. "That felt so good! I loved it!"

"You were great out there Sara," Denman added. "I don't see how anybody couldn't love you after that. But that was only the first of two presentations. We still have one more to do after this."

"I know I know…" Sara conceded. "At least now I'm feeling a lot more relaxed and confident. The next one will be a piece of cake."

Sara and Dr. Denman wandered their way through the building. They climbed up some stairs and burst into a seemingly random room, only for all the occupants to look at the two of them. "SARA!" Mia and Katy yelled, surprising Sara. They rushed toward her, hitting her broadside.

"We gotta stop this," Sara joked, "you're gonna hurt me eventually."

"It looked like everyone loved you out there," Mia noted, "This crazy hair-brained scheme of Zane's might actually work."

"Speaking of Zane, where did he go?" Sara asked, checking around the room.

"He said he had a phone call to take and disappeared. We haven't seen him for a few minutes at least," Katy responded.

Farley and Sara's parents walked up behind to meet Sara, each giving them a hug in quick succession. "How are you feeling?" Farley asked.

"A little overwhelmed, but otherwise I'm feeling ok," Sara replied. "It was a lot of fun though!"

"We're so proud of you," Paul added.

Just before Sara could respond, Zane burst into the room with a stupid grin on his face, out of breath but full of elation. "Sara! You're not gonna believe it!" he exclaimed.

"Oh I bet I will believe it, Zane. But what is it? Get it off your chest already. What's coming next?" Sara responded snarkily.

"You've got great wit. You'll be awesome at interviews. Speaking of that, I just got a call from Australian Broadcasting Network, and they want you to be a guest on their talk show Australia Tonight! They want you to come in for filming this afternoon!" Zane rambled.

"Wait what? What's Australia Tonight?" Sara asked, honestly a bit confused.

"Australia Tonight? It's the most well known late-night talk show in Australia!" Katy exclaimed. "You've lived here for six months and have never heard of them? Either way it looks like they want you to be their special mermaid guest."

"Ok, this is getting crazy. Especially if they're as huge as you say they are," Sara admitted. "What do I need to do for it?"

"Well, their filming begins around four and it's just past noon here. So for now, just proceed as planned with the second presentation," Zane informed. "As soon as that's done, we'll take you over to their studio. Understood?"

"Roger roger! Yes sir," Sara mocked a salute, trying to inject humor in. She sighed and chuckled, "Seems like there ain't no rest for a Mermaid."

"Maybe so, but still. It's a positive start. Let's continue this string of good luck," Zane added. "And maybe… just maybe… it might all work out."

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It all was going well so far. Sara had a successful press conference, a successful performance, and now she was going to be on a popular talk show. It was at this moment that all of them felt somewhat more relaxed. Farley jolted upward when his phone started buzzing. He excused himself from the group and went out into the hallway for more privacy.

"Hello?" he spoke into the phone.

"Yes, I am currently looking for Farley Davis. Might I speak to him?" An overly cheery woman asked on the other end.

"Can I ask what this is all about?" Farley countered skeptically.

"My name is Amber and I work for the Gentleman Australia lifestyle magazine. We want to offer a lucrative and exclusive interview to Mr. Davis about his relationship with Sara Meyer. We want to talk about how it is dating the first ever mermaid," Amber responded.

"I am Farley Davis," Farley spoke.

"Well, we understand you are dating Sara Meyer, the mermaid. We want you to answer some questions for our dear readers about how you convinced her to date you. Should be really easy!"

Farley hesitated. He suspected a call like this was going to be coming eventually. But he was so unprepared how to answer it. _Should I actually go through with it? No. I need to ask the others' perspectives. I can't risk myself on some foolish venture._ "I'm undecided at the moment. I would like to decline for now, but in the future I might like to accept your interview."

"Understood! If you wish to set something up, please call this number again. We would love to hear from you, and the rewards would be amazing," Amber spoke.

Farley hung up the phone, puzzled. _Why do they want to interview me? Should I do it? But will that take away some of the spotlight from Sara? And what if I'm accidentally splashed. I'd bet they'd love more to have an exclusive interview with a newly revealed merman…._

He didn't have any answers for himself. Farley returned to the group, unsure of himself. Sara picked up on Farley's seeming lack of focus immediately. "Is everything alright Farley?" She asked when Farley walked back in the door.

"I got a call from Gentleman Australia, the magazine… They want to interview me because apparently dating a mermaid is the new 'It Thing' right now," Farley responded.

"I feared this would happen," Zane grumbled. "Just wait. You all may get calls from news organizations wanting an exclusive interview to talk about being close to 'The Mermaid'."

"Well, Zane what do you think I should do in all your infinite wisdom?" Farley asked.

"Hmm… Not taking part in anything and being secretive would seem suspicious like you're hiding something. And this is a well-known and important businesses like Gentleman Australia. Keep a low profile, but we have to act as though you're a normal bloke who just does a few small interviews," Zane recommended.

"Ok… I'll call them back tomorrow and… I guess... set something up," Farley affirmed.

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An hour of milling around awaited them, before it was time for Sara to return back out to the pool for another presentation. Zane gave her parents a ride home. They wanted to stay out of the spotlight and were feeling tired. Sara only wished she could go with them, but she had a job to do. It was imperative that she stay and continue the work she was doing.

Sara walked over to Elliot, still engrossed on the computer. He rubbed his eyes, tired from staring at the screen for such a long time. "Shouldn't you take a rest from that?" Sara asked. "You've been at it for way too long."

"Don't you want to know what everyone is saying about you? It could be good to know public opinion. We can use it to your advantage," Elliot replied.

"Ugh… I'd rather not honestly. Sometimes ignorance is bliss," Sara pondered for a minute. "Don't you have something else to be doing Elliot?"

"Not particularly," Elliot responded quickly, refusing to take his eyes off the screen. "I need to help you."

Sara sighed. "Elliot, you need to call your sister," she suggested.

Elliot put his head down immediately, waiting in silence for a few moments. "I just.. I can't. I can't do it. What would I even say? What could I say? Everything over all these years makes sense now… I don't know what to do…She's a mermaid! And, she never told me about it..." Elliot rambled, strongly fighting back getting choked up.

"You need to be honest with her," Laura interrupted, walking over and placing a hand on his shoulder. "This is your chance to have an open discussion about things with her. She'll want to ease things over, especially now that you know about her secret. She knew Denman knew about her past, so it would only make sense that you would've found out eventually."

"She's right you know. And I don't even know anything about your sister," Sara agreed. "Call her."

"Ok… Ok… I'll do it. While it's still evening in Clearwater," Elliot relented. He stood up, feeling a bit nervous, but mostly determined.

"I'll go with you for emotional support," Laura added. Sara nodded at Laura, who smiled back.

"Ok… Let's do this…" Elliot sighed.

He and Laura turned away from the rest of them, heading out into the silent hallway. Elliot sat down on an empty bench, the hard metal feeling cold as ice against him. Laura slid in next to him. Elliot took out his phone, placing it in his palm. It felt heavy in his hand. "I don't know if I can do this," he spoke.

"Elliot, you need to. You need to find closure here. You'll never find out anything unless you call her," Laura persuaded.

"Alright. Ok fine. I'm gonna do it. Just, give me a second. And don't pressure me about it."

Elliot paused for a moment, collecting his breath. When his courage peaked, he dialed Emma's number and placed the phone up to his ear. She picked up on the third ring. "Hey Elliot! How's it going?" Emma asked cheerfully.

"Hello Emma. We… need to talk…" Elliot trailed off, unsure how to begin.

"What's going on? I saw all the news about what's going on with Denman. Apparently she's the scientific advisor to that mermaid girl, Sara Meyer. Do you know what that's about? Are you involved in this as well? Have you actually met her?"

"Emma… It's… Well yeah, but that's beside the point…"

"You know the mermaid? That's great! I wish I was in your shoes. To be close to a celebrity like her, with those gifts, what I wouldn't give."

"That's not the point!" Elliot exclaimed, now frustrated.

"Then what is going on Elliot? Is there a problem I should know about?"

"I know you're a mermaid, Emma," Elliot stated bruntly yet quietly to not allow eavesdroppers to hear. The other line went deathly silent. Elliot continued. "Don't try to deny it, Emma. Denman and Zane told me the whole story. They told me everything that had happened to you. Zane told me the story about you and Denman. How did you forgive her after what she did? And how did you get your… abilities back after you gave it up to trick Denman?"

Elliot allowed the silence to begin again, waiting for Emma's answer. It took a minute. Elliot would've waited all day if he needed to. He finally wanted a straight answer out of Emma after all these years. "Elliot… I… I'm so sorry," Emma sobbed quietly into the phone. "I never meant for you to find out like this…"

"How did this happen?" Elliot asked, forcing himself to hold back tears and stay strong. "And the same thing with Cleo and Rikki too. Tell me the whole story. Please, Emma. You owe me that much."

Composing herself, Emma relayed the story to Elliot, from six years before when she became a mermaid with Cleo and Rikki up to the present day. Elliot listened silently, remembering back all those years and finding the memories of those days. Everything began to make sense. "I wish I had told you and Mum and Dad that long ago, but what could I say?" Emma continued "And what would happen to me?"

"We would've accepted you for who you are!"

"I didn't know if that would actually be the case! I was so scared of you all finding out about what I was and what I could do. So, I kept it a secret for years. Until now that is obviously. I suppose I couldn't think it would stay secret forever, especially from you."

"I have too many questions. My head is just spinning right now. I don't know what to think. To be fair you aren't the first one I've known about. I am actually friends with Sara Meyer after all. But still, you hid it from me for six years!"

"I'm so sorry Elliot. I wish I could've told you so many times before," Emma responded, more composed. Silence grew for a minute before Emma spoke again. "So… where do we go from here?"

"I forgive you." Elliot stated. "I forgive you for keeping your secret from me for so long. Do you know why? I understand your fear of other people finding out about your secret. I remember meeting Sara for the first time when we found out about her secret. She looked so scared and panicked. I now see why you never wanted to talk about it. That fear of being revealed; I completely understand it now. So… I forgive you for not telling me. But, when we see each other again, I want to sit down and have a long talk about everything. No more secrets."

"Whatever you want. And… Thank you Elliot…"

"Emma, I love you no matter what. You're the best sister that a bloke could ask for, guaranteed. I've gotta go though. I'll talk to you later."

"Goodbye Elliot."

Elliot hung up the phone, staring at the floor in silence. So much had come out of that call. It was a lot for him to handle.

"Did you get the closure you were looking for?" Laura asked.

"I suppose so. But still, I need to actually sit down and talk with her to get exactly what I need. That was enough at least for now. And the both of us are on the same page about everything."

"I'm glad. We should probably get back to the others now though. The next presentation is about to begin soon," Laura informed.

Elliot and Laura stood up together. Elliot smiled. He felt like he had accomplished something then. He got closure from his sister. _Thank you Emma. But be warned, you are going to tell me everything the next time I see you in Florida._

 **For all the people that asked about, I give you, for the first time in my series, Emma having actual dialogue. (And yes she will actually exist in the story more than this phone call with Elliot). But, I don't want to give too much away ;).**

 **Also this brings up an interesting question. Who is your favorite original mermaid? Is it Rikki? Cleo? Or Emma? Leave a review with the answer as well as what you think! Stay tuned!**


	6. Chapter 5: Television Star

**Thanks to all my loyal readers! You all are amazing. If you love the story and haven't submitted a review yet, go ahead and do that. I'd love to know what you think about the story so far. Especially for this chapter, as we're introducing a new main character. Stay tuned!**

 **Chapter 5: Television Star**

Sara yawned loudly. She tried to contain it, but it just came out with no control. She quickly stifled it, hoping as not to annoy Denman sitting next to her in the car. She was tired, but there was no way she could quit now. The second presentation had gone even better than the first, with even more reporters cramming into the stands surrounding the pool. Each trick she did was met with roaring applause. And, when she was done, Sara was full of confidence and optimism, the highest it had been since she was revealed by Marian the day before..

ABN had sent out a car to pick both her and Denman up and take them to the studio for filming their interview for Australia Tonight. It was going to be a special broadcast featuring the one and only mermaid. Sara merely sighed at hearing at the marketing cheesiness behind it.

"How are you feeling?" Denman asked Sara.

"Considering all that's happened, not completely terrible. But, it's only the first day too. It was only last night people found out about me, and we've been extremely busy since then," Sara replied. "So I am tired, but I'm still determined to see this through."

The rest of the ride continued in mostly silence, as Sara was happy for some peace and quiet, if only for a moment. It wasn't too much longer before the car pulled into a back alley next to a taller glass and steel building in downtown. The driver held up the security pass at the entrance to an underground garage. Then, they pulled smoothly into the parking garage, plunging the interior of the car into darkness.

The driver swung left before stopping the car next to an inconspicuous entranceway, with a tall woman with brown hair tied tight into a bun standing in front of them. She held a tablet in her hand and had on an earpiece. She looked like she was all about business and not someone to be trifled with. She stepped forward when the car was fully stopped, opening up the side door for Sara, who stepped out cautiously onto the ground. The woman looked Sara up and down. "You must be Sara Meyer," she stated excitedly, trying to still sound stern and businesslike.

"Yeah. That's me," Sara responded, shaking the woman's hand. She felt strong and powerful. Sara only hoped she could trust her.

"My name is Helena Montgomery. I'm the Executive VP of Operations here at ABN. It's a pleasure to meet you," the woman introduced herself.

"Good to meet you. I'm surprised a high-up executive like yourself is meeting me down here instead of a simple page," Sara noted.

"You are our honored guest. And, we are expecting impeccable ratings from your broadcast. It's only necessary that I welcome you in person. Walk with me."

Sara stepped quickly to keep with Helena's stride. Denman tagged along behind. She was to have a smaller part in the broadcast, talking a bit of the scientific research Sara had done with her, but other than that, most of the attention would be focused directly on Sara, the mermaid.

"How is this interview going to go down?" Sara asked.

"Basically you walk out on stage, smile, wave, answer the questions from our hosts, and you go home. It's piss easy," Helena informed nonchalantly.

"But… That's it? I feel there should be more to it than that," Sara questioned.

"Ha… My dear, you're a celebrity now. You just have to say whatever is on your mind and people will love you," Helena added.

"I guess I can do that…"

"Excellent! Then you're going to do well out there. Don't you worry. You're going to be a television star," Helena encouraged. They wound their way through the hallways of the studio, passing various technicians, assistants, and workers, each of whom stopped to stare at Sara as she passed by. _I hope I'm not gonna have to deal with this for the rest of my life. I can't stand people staring at me. I can tolerate it for now. But, I don't know how long that will last._ Sara thought to herself.

Helena stopped in front of a large door with Sara's name on a board about eye level. Sara raised an eyebrow, but Helena didn't notice. She opened the door and entered in, with Sara following right behind. "Ok this is your dressing room. We'll send in wardrobe and makeup people in here eventually to prep you for the show. Your manager will be in a different one a few doors down." Helena informed.

"Alright…" Sara trailed off. It was a normal brick room, with a lit up mirror against one side and several racks of clothing against the other. A couch with a coffee table lay at the back of the dressing room.

"We'll send someone soon for you. But, for now, just sit back and relax," Helena added, before disappearing out of the room as quickly as they entered, leaving Sara alone.

Sara sat down at the desk, staring at herself in the mirror. Her piercing blue eyes stared back at her, although there was a sense of weariness in them. Her long blond hair hung loosely, but a few stray ends fluttered about, reminding her of the stress of her long and busy day. Ever since being revealed by Marian the night before, her life had become a non-stop rollercoaster. She wondered when, if ever, life would return to normalcy.

It was not five minutes later, when a succession of knocks sounded on the door. Sara turned quickly, surprised by the sudden interruption of her thoughts. "Come in," Sara announced.

A short girl, around the same age as Sara entered in. She had a wide-eyed look about you, staring at Sara. "You're S-Sara Meyer… The mermaid… I was told you'd be here.. But to actually see you… This is… Wow…" The girl stammered.

"Who are you exactly?" Sara questioned, somewhat skeptical.

"Oh! Sorry… So… Sorry, I should've explained that first. I'm… Lizzy…Lizzy Wright. I'm going to be your personal page and assistant while you're here at ABN! This is amazing! Can, I get you anything? Anything at all. Don't hesitate. I'd go to the moon and back if that's what you wish. Would you like water? A Coke? Coffee? You don't need seaweed… right?" Lizzy rambled. Sara could barely keep up with all that she was saying.

 _I mean, I don't really want or need a servant. But, she seems nice enough if not a bit too energetic_ Sara pondered. "Ummm… If you could just get me a black coffee and a glass of water with a straw, that would be awesome Lizzy," Sara stated.

Lizzy beamed. "I'm on it! I'll get that to you right away." And with that, she sprinted out of Sara's room.

Sara just groaned and shook her head. _First Laurie, and now Lizzy. The amount of people getting starstruck by me is only going to get worse from here. I just feel it. Luckily the VP lady treated me like someone normal-ish. But that's mostly because I'm gonna make her wallet fatter._ It was only a few minutes, and Lizzy returned, seemingly frazzled. She was obviously nervous, most likely intimidated by Sara. "I… got your coffee and water! Just as you wanted. Black coffee and a straw with the water too!" Lizzy stuttered.

"Thanks Lizzy. You can just put it down on the desk," Sara instructed, trying to sound genuine.

"Right away Ma'am!" Lizzy ambled quickly over, but her nervousness made her clumsy. The water was too full in her hand, and at her sudden stop, the top inch of water in the glass launched outward, landing all over Sara.

Sara stood up instantly. A feeling of adrenaline exploded in her. _Gotta get out of here! Wait…_ The adrenaline immediately turned to annoyance and apathy. This was the place for her. It didn't matter if she changed in front of Lizzy, because everyone already knew about her secret. _Not much of a secret anymore._

Sara rolled her eyes before sitting down on the floor as to not fall over. It didn't take long, and with a shimmering sound and flash, her tail appeared. Sara looked up at Lizzy, whose eyes were wide and mouth open in shock. "I...I...I… M-ms. Meyer…. I…. So.. Sorry. I didn't… I mean…" Lizzy stammered, unable to get the words out of her mouth.

Sara held up her hand to silence her. Lizzy shut her mouth promptly. "Lizzy, it would be really nice if you brought me a towel right now," She spoke sincerely.

Lizzy nodded quickly. "Ok. Towel. Got it," And she raced out of the room. Sara sighed, resting backward onto her elbows. _At least I don't have to hide myself anymore. So, that's one good thing about what has happened._ Sara chuckled to herself, trying to remain positive.

Lizzy returned in less than a minute, clean white towel in hand. "I found one!" She exclaimed, tossing the towel down to Sara. Sara began annoyingly rubbing herself down with the towel, attempting to dry herself off. "Wait…" Lizzy spoke, summoning up courage. Sara stopped and looked curiously up at Lizzy. "Do you mind if I take a picture of you like this? It would be really awesome."

Sara pondered for a moment. _Could it be really that bad? Just one picture_. "No." Sara stated flatly. The answer caught Lizzy off-guard, who didn't have a response ready, and instead stayed quiet, afraid to say anything. "Lizzy, do you know why I'm doing all of this? The press conference, this TV interview, the demonstrations, everything?" Sara asked politely.

"I… I'm not sure…" Lizzy stammered, still nervous.

"I want to show the world I'm more than just this," Sara gestured down to her tail. "I want people to understand my humanity. I'm not just a circus freak or a zoo animal. I'm a real person with thoughts, emotions, likes, dislikes, and personality. You don't know what it feels like for me lying on this floor right now. You don't know what it felt like when I was lying on the floor last night when I was revealed. I felt so helpless and afraid. I just can't have people use that to their own advantage. It would slowly degrade who I was as a person. I wish you were a mermaid so you could understand my pain. But, since that is impossible, I can only explain my feelings and hope you understand my humanity."

Lizzy stepped backward. She had never meant to offend or hurt Sara. Sara saw remorse in her eyes. Lizzy wasn't a bad person. She just didn't understand. Maybe that was the first step. "I'm so sorry Ms. Meyer. I… I think I get it now."

"Please, call me Sara," Sara spoke as she began drying herself off again. It didn't take long, and the last of the water was cleared from her. Her legs reappeared once again, and she stood up.

"That is so cool!" Lizzy exclaimed, a wide-eyed and eager look expressed on her face.

Sara smiled. "It really is, isn't it. Tell you what, give me your phone number, and I'll text you sometime. Then, we can actually have a chat instead of being in this more formal environment."

Lizzy beamed. "Oh that would be awesome!" Sara felt good inside, being able to make Lizzy's day like that. Maybe they would be friends, the first one outside of Team Mako in months. And to Sara, that made it so much more worth it.

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Some time later, Sara was getting fitted to be on the show. The head of wardrobe had given her a dazzling red dress to wear which seemed to fit Sara perfectly, as if it was specifically made for her. Then, in quickly came the hair and makeup team, taking time and effort to make sure Sara looked extremely beautiful for television. When they were done and left the room, Sara took a moment to relax. She knew that soon she would go out to national or even international broadcast. Sure, she had done the press conference and demonstrations earlier that day, but that was absolutely necessary. This, was something else entirely. It felt like something only celebrities did. And seeing how Laurie and Lizzy acted earlier that day showed how much of an actual famous person Sara had become.

Sara sauntered over to the long mirror positioned in her dressing room. Her breath caught when she saw herself. She was more beautiful than she ever thought possible. Her hair was kept in a long golden braid over one shoulder, with her makeup causing her to look mysterious, with highlights of gold in the shadow. She twirled once in the dress, admiring the way it hugged her body. _Ok… Maybe it's not so bad to dress up and look pretty from time to time. Besides, I'm so different from the shallow girls that do this like Marian..._

Thinking of Marian made Sara shudder. This was all her doing. It was the first time Sara had time to actually think about what had happened. _How did she find out about me? And what does she want? What could she hope to gain from revealing me._ Nothing came to Sara's mind. Her only guess was that Marian revealed her to get back at Katy for taking away Mitch. But that was at least a few months ago…

Sara's thoughts were interrupted by a knock on her door again. It was opened to reveal Helena, tablet still in hand, looking quite impatient. "Good. Hair, makeup, and wardrobe have all been through here. I'm going to take you to set right now. We'll run down what's going to happen and then we'll get to filming. Ready?" Helena spoke.

"Roger that," Sara responded, skipping over to Helena.

Helena nodded and guided Sara back through the winding maze of hallways. The two of them emptied into a large stage with a grand stand to the back, slowly filling with people. Cameras and technical equipment were strategically placed all over. Technicians scattered about, prepping the stage for the filming. "This is where it'll all take place," Helena stated, before leading Sara through to the backstage area where Denman was waiting.

"It's good to see you again," Denman smiled, patting Sara on the back.

"Likewise," Sara stated back quickly.

Helena quickly gave instructions to both Sara and Denman on when to enter, what to do, and how the cameras would be aligned. It was only a basic crash course, but it would suffice for the moment. "Alright, the filming will start in five!" Helena announced to the cast and crew, who scurried about, making sure everything was prepared exactly perfect for the shoot.

The two co-hosts, James and Ruth, stood out in front, ready to begin filming. Sara and Denman stood backstage, ready for their cues to come out. "Nervous?" Denman asked Sara.

"Not as much as before. I was definitely for the press conference earlier today, but now I'm feeling a lot better," Sara answered.

"Good. Now, it'll be easier. People are starting to love you. You just gotta keep being you, and everything will fall into place easily," Denman informed.

Sara was about to reply, but the lights began to dim. "Ok people, get to your places!" Helena shouted. "We are filming in 5…. 4….. 3…. 2…." Helena pointed at the hosts who began immediately.

"Welcome back to Australia tonight! I'm James Joyce."

"And I'm Ruth Bailey. Well, you may have heard the news from last night which has been indeed confirmed this morning. Mermaids are in fact real."

"That's right Ruth. Your childhood dreams might just be true after all after Sara Meyer, a seemingly normal teenager from America, now living in Australia, was revealed to be an actual living mermaid. Something that we only thought lived in fiction and fairy tales."

"Would you like to meet her?" Ruth asked to the audience. A roar sprang from the studio audience, cheering loudly. Sara forced herself to put away her smile for the moment. "Well, we would like to introduce to you our special guest, the mermaid herself: Sara Meyer!"

This was Sara's cue. She steeled herself, and walking as smoothly as possible, strut onto the stage. The blinding lights hit her instantaneously. She couldn't see the audience behind them, but she could hear them clapping clearly and loudly. Acting on instinct, she raised her hand and waved toward the audience and cameras as she continued her way to the couch opposite of the two co-hosts.

With all the grace and charm she had, she sat down on the couch, crossing one leg over the other, staring out into audience with a big smile on. When the applause died down, Sara moved her gaze over to the two hosts. "It's good to have you here Sara." Ruth spoke.

"Thank you Ruth. It's a pleasure to be here," Sara spoke calmly and confidently.

"How have you been dealing with the media firestorm over the past twenty-four hours?" James asked.

"It's been hectic to say the least. But, I'm still feeling great right now." Sara responded. "Even so, I felt it was time to talk about who I am and what I can do."

"Wonderful to hear. It must be difficult to live as the only mermaid in existence. How have you coped with it this long?" Ruth questioned.

Sara sighed. "Well, for a time it was lonely. I had no one to even talk to about my secret. Eventually I gained friends, and eventually my boyfriend, and I could at least talk about my gift with them. And, that made it so much better than feeling lonely."

"Your boyfriend, Farley is his name? He must be very lucky dating you as a mermaid."

"Well, he'd be lucky dating me even if I wasn't a mermaid," Sara quipped. It was a stupid joke, but the hosts and the audience laughed at it.

"Have you been living well here in Australia? I understand you recently moved here from America." Ruth asked.

"I definitely have enjoyed it. And not just because I became a mermaid here. Being from small-town America, thousands of kilometers from any ocean, there's really not much to do. My hometown had less than 2000 people. And the next actual city was close to two hundred kilometers away, and that city only had barely 250,000 people. Here, I feel like there's so much more to enjoy in my life and more people to be around. I definitely feel like living in Gold Coast has treated me so much better than if I stayed at home."

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The rest of the questions went by smoothly, and Sara rather enjoyed herself answering them on TV. Denman watched her in the wings, admiring Sara's charisma. "She's doing really good out there," Helena stated to Denman.

"You think so? I just want people to accept her for what she is. I'm willing to do whatever it takes to make sure that happens," Denman responded.

"Are you kidding? People are going to love her! And, she's gonna make all of us very rich in the process. She's a celebrity now. And that probably won't go away any time soon." Helena beamed.

 _At least my conscience will be clear after this from what I did all those years ago to Cleo, Rikki, and Emma._ Denman thought to herself. She looked out to Sara smiling and laughing just like she belonged on TV.

"Now, Sara, I understand you have brought someone important with you today," Ruth stated.

"Yes. I brought Dr. Linda Denman, my scientific advisor as well as one of my co-managers," Sara put in.

"Let's bring her out and see what she has to say," James announced. Sara watched as Denman stepped briskly out onto the stage, quickly waving to the audience. She seemed slightly uncomfortable about being on television.

Denman strode over and sat next to Sara on the couch, looking across at Ruth and James, trying to ignore the cameras as best as possible. "Hello, I am Dr. Linda Denman, marine biologist," Denman stated.

"It's so wonderful for you to be here," Ruth stated. "How did you two meet by chance?"

Sara floundered. That memory brought back the pain and anxiety she felt in Denman's net. But, she put it away. Denman stepped up right away when she saw the look on Sara's face. "It's actually an interesting story. We had cast the nets out on my research vessel. We were doing fish counts on the reefs off of the coast. Much to my surprise, and Sara's as well, she swam right into my nets by accident. Probably the most interesting catch I've ever had as a scientist."

Sara regained her composure and spoke up. "At first, it was one of the scariest moments of my life. When Zane and Farley found about my secret, they were at least people I was somewhat acquainted with. But, at the time I had no idea who Dr. Denman was. As well, I found out she was a researcher. I was certain she would do terrible experiments on me like a mad scientist. But, we talked about everything. She wanted to work with me to uncover what my abilities were, but still treat me like a regular person."

"I wanted to give her closure and understanding. At the time, Sara didn't know much about her condition, being the only mermaid in the world and everything. We agreed to work together, and we eventually became good friends in the process." Denman added.

"Wow, that sounds like a shocking turn of events. For both of you," James spoke.

"I'm glad the two of us were able to work through it," Sara spoke. "Through Dr. Denman, I want the public to understand who and what I am. Yeah, I'm a mermaid sure, I get it. But I'm also human. And the research I'm doing with Denman is so people get to see that."

"People are sure to love you," Ruth stated. "You're kind, caring, strong, and beautiful."

Sara beamed at the compliment. It felt as though everything was finally fitting into place. And twenty-four hours after she was revealed, people didn't seem to be scared of her. Her only fear was how to live life as a sudden celebrity. But, that would be ok for now.

 **Once again, smash that review button if you love the story so far. I really enjoy writing this. Tell your other H2O fans about it. I've got some great story lines in the pipe and I'm ready to bring it out to you! Stay classy.**


	7. Chapter 6: End of the First Day

**Chapter 6: End of the First Day**

Three cars pulled swiftly out of the parking garage of the ABN building. Kept together in a line, they wound their way through the streets. Eventually, the three cars split up all in different directions. Sara saw them all breakaway from her view from the most plain looking vehicle in the convoy. She didn't want any followers or stalkers for where she was going next.

Her driver was Trevor, a balding man of sixty. He had driven many celebrities who came into ABN, so driving Sara around really wasn't much of a big deal for him. He kept good conversation, so Sara rather enjoyed having him drive her. Sara looked out at the setting sun. _This has been the most important yet stressful day in my entire life… Only time will tell if it was all worth it in the end._ Sara pondered to herself.

Soon, Trevor drove her through a more forested area before stopping off at a small enclave on the side of the road. "Are you sure this is it?" Trevor asked, looking around somewhat confused.

"Yes this is it Trevor. Thank you so much. I'll take it from here," Sara replied, gathering herself and stepping out of the car.

"Ok. Take care of yourself Ms. Meyer. Call me if you need a ride again," Trevor spoke. He put the car into drive and drove away, leaving Sara alone in the twilight, the sun just under the horizon line. She didn't waste time. Sara turned and quickly hiked her way through the trees, taking a more confusing and random path, but she knew where she was going. Soon, she came upon what she was looking for.

Mitch's boat house sat lonely on the side of the canal. Sara smiled when she saw it. It had turned into Team Mako's de facto headquarters on the mainland. And, being at least for the moment that it was too dangerous to go to Mako, they were all meeting here. Sara burst into the shed, tired yet undeterred. Katy, Mia, Blake, Farley, and Mitch were all there, and they turned to see her.

"You made it!" Katy yelled, nearly vaulting over the table to sprint to Sara. Sara wasn't prepared for it, exhausted from the day's events. Katy hit her broadside, knocking them both to the ground in a sprawling heap.

"Ugh! Katy! Get off me! Stop trying to tackle me! That's been the third time today already; Get it together!" Sara exclaimed, fighting her way to her feet.

By then, the rest of the team had gotten over to Sara and Katy, and they each took a turn greeting Sara when she got to her feet. "How was the TV shoot Ms. Celebrity?" Mia asked in a light-hearted tone.

"A lot of fun actually! I'm surprised it went so well. I was treated like any other celebrity that did an interview with them… God… even I'm calling myself a celebrity now. What could be worse?" Sara joked.

"Now don't forget about us poor normal people," Katy teased.

"I promise I won't," Sara encouraged, "Yet still, this whole celebrity thing has completely caught me off guard. I only wanted people not to hate me"

"You were literally an overnight sensation, more or less," Blake noted.

"True, but it's gonna take some time getting used to. At least at first. Trying to live a normal life is gonna be a bitch though..." Sara added.

"At least you get to be open about your mermaid abilities for now," Mia mentioned. "Katy, Farley, and I are basically in lockdown mode until we get this whole thing figured out."

"I know I know. There's nothing I can do about that," Sara spoke. "It all happened so fast. But, I promise I'll do everything to make this turn out for the better. And figuring out this 'thing' might take some time."

"We believe you," Katy affirmed. "Don't you ever doubt for a second that we don't have your back."

"What happened at the studio?" Mitch asked.

The six of them sat down, and Sara began relaying what happened to her after she left the Marine Park. The other five stayed glued to the story wondering what had all happened over the past hours. Sara hesitated a moment before talking about Lizzy. "I think she's a great person, albeit a bit innocent," Sara added about her at the end.

"And you got her phone number? What for?" Farley asked. "The last thing we need is someone normal, and seemingly… well, loud, involved in our business."

"I just feel like… I don't know. I don't really have any friends right now outside of Team Mako. "And befriending her, it just felt like it was something 'normal' that I could latch on to. You guys are really great, but it's also good to have friends outside the mermaid thing."

"It's been said before, but it's important to keep reminding you," Mia added, "But we're mermaids. Normal really isn't our thing, as much as we want to live a normal life, it's something we really just can't have."

"Either way, normal's just a word stupid people use to make them think like they belong in society," Farley joked.

"None of us are normal. Not even the ones here without a tail like Mitch and I," Blake put in. "Think about it. You three are mermaids. The three of us are dating you mermaids. Farley's also a merman. Mitch ran away from home. And I was almost killed by criminals. Normal isn't what any of us are good at."

"I suppose you're right. All of you," Sara agreed. "And yet, I like Lizzy. I want to actually be friends with her, regardless of whether it's only to be 'normal' or not."

"Do what you will Sara. Just make sure you don't compromise Farley, Mia, and I before we want to reveal ourselves," Katy spoke.

"You know I would never do that," Sara replied.

"I know. Just wanted to make sure it was said though."

The six of them relaxed for a moment, reliving good times over the past six months since Sara, Mia, and Katy became mermaids. They all could breathe a collective sigh of relief. For a moment, it appeared that all was going according to plan. Soon the time came for Sara's interview to be broadcast. Farley pulled out his laptop, tapping into the livestream. Sara gulped. This was the first time she was going to be watching herself, and she was incredibly worried.

Annoying filler started at first, with random advertisements. "Ugh. Why do they have to torture me? Just show me the interview already!" Sara joked.

"Patience my young padawan," Farley joked back. Sara playfully punched him in the arm in response.

"...come back to Australia Tonight! I'm James Joyce," broadcast through the laptop.

"It's on!" Katy exclaimed.

The six of them crowded around to see what would happen. They all held their breath in anticipation. Farley audibly gasped when he saw Sara walk out on stage in her dress. He bit his tongue to stifle the sound. She didn't usually wear too much makeup in her daily life. But, all prepared for going on television, she looked more beautiful than Farley had ever imagined. It almost compared to her coolness of being a mermaid. Almost.

Sara was blown away about how well she looked and behaved on television. The anxiety washed away when she saw herself on the screen. _It's almost like I was made for TV._ Sara joked to herself. _Then again, it's not like I wanted to be in a position to do it._

The broadcast was beginning to wrap up Sara's interview segment soon. The group continued to watch in growing excitement. "Sara, it's been a pleasure having you with us," Ruth put in.

"Thank you for having me," Sara spoke. She watched herself through the television give a brilliant smile to the crowd. Sara smirked at how well she seemed to be on TV.

"Now, before we end this, is there anything you want to say to the audience at home?" James asked.

Sara watched herself turn toward the camera. "I want to say thank you to everyone who's come to accept me after I've gone public. This whole thing was a shock to the world, and even to me. I understand the feeling people might feel about the total bombshell I might be. And, so far the response has been positive, and I want to thank everyone for that."

"Truly remarkable," Ruth added. "That'll be the end of our broadcast this evening. I'm Ruth Bailey with James Joyce signing off. Goodnight Australia." And with that, the camera panned up as Ruth and James waved beyond. The credits rolled upward, and in a final display, a commercial began airing, signifying the true end of the show.

The six of them slouched backward, exhausted. It had been a stressful day for all of them. For several moments, no one said a word. They were happy to bask in the silence for a time. "So…. What's next?" Mitch asked to no one in particular.

"What do you mean?" Farley replied, sitting up in his chair.

"Well, this is only the end of the first day that Sara's been public as a mermaid. How do we go from here? There was success today, I will admit. But… She's a celebrity now. That affects all of us. How long before they find out about you, Mia, and Katy? And then how will we all cope with this new found celebrity status? What will happen to us then when we go back to school in a few months?" Mitch rambled.

"Easy Mitch. Let's not get ahead of ourselves," Blake responded. "We have to take this one day at a time. Let's celebrate today and go back at it tomorrow."

"Katy, you mentioned that you wanted to go public. Have you thought about how that would even work out?" Mitch questioned.

"Hey… Don't just push me into it… But yes I do. I just don't know when. The time needs to be right," Katy stammered.

"This is what I'm talking about. Nobody has anything planned out," Mitch explained.

"We can't possibly plan things out from here," Mia spoke, "We mostly have to improvise and hope for the best."

"I don't know how the future is going to go," Sara put forth, "But I'm going to enjoy the good moments while I can. Like this one. Don't know how much we'll be able to hang out together like this after today."

"The media will want to keep tabs on all of us, especially the tabloids," Farley relented, shaking his head. "Ugh… I'm not so sure about doing my interview either."

"Just do it. It won't be as bad as you think!" Blake encouraged.

"Yeah? And I'm also a merman. I'm gonna risk a lot by just doing interviews. How long before people start asking questions like if Sara is the only mer or not?" Farley snapped back, starting to feel a bit nervous.

"Ok, everyone let's relax," Katy spoke up. "We're not gonna do anything by being worried now. Let's just all go home and go to sleep. We've all had a busy and long day. Let's celebrate today. And tomorrow we can think about the future."

The five others nodded in succession, realizing she was right. There was nothing they could do by worrying themselves sick. The silence again came over them, as they all realized how tired they were. One by one, each of them left the boat house into the night, careful to avoid any would-be followers. At once, Farley, Mitch, and Sara were the only ones left.

Farley pulled Sara close, hugging her tightly. "We are gonna make it through this," he spoke.

"I know. I know. You're pretty awesome you know that?" Sara responded.

"Me? You're the awesome one. I saw you on TV. God you are such an amazing person and/or mermaid. I will say without a doubt I am one of the luckiest men on this planet," Farley spoke.

"You get to date the only mermaid. All other men will want to be you," Sara teased, touching her lips to his.

"Come on. I'm right here," Mitch complained at the PDA, and the two parted. "And I'm dating a mermaid too!"

"Goodbye Sara," Farley spoke, and left into the darkness. Sara sighed, feeling lonely again. She quickly called Trevor, and within minutes he appeared in his car, ready to pick her up. The whole way home Sara contemplated the future. She had done good that day, but so much of the future was unknown. When she arrived, she quickly went up to bed, happy to be there. Laying down, she ran her mind over the events of the day. She was happy with how she acted, yet still had an annoying nagging about how people would still treat her. Sara drifted off, wondering about the future. She slept for a long time, happy for the rest.

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It was a busy day in the Minneapolis airport. A tall woman with thick, long, and black hair squinted upward at the large display of departing flights. Her flight to Sydney displayed prominently at the top of the list, with only minutes until the boarding began. From there, she'd fly directly to Gold Coast where her future lay.

Everyone and their mother had heard the news about Sara Meyer, the first mermaid in existence. It was the biggest story of the year, and possibly the decade. This was the woman's break. Fresh out of journalism school, this was her time to get her foot in the door to become a major reporter. There was more to this mermaid than originally let on. Ms. Meyer's story was a little too convenient. She just so happened to become a mermaid? Just like that? No. The woman wasn't buying it.

She walked confidently and swiftly toward her gate. Now was her time to prove her worth as a journalist, maybe get fame and fortune on the side. She smirked as she thought about what she could do with all that fame. Maybe just maybe, she could find out the secret to becoming a mermaid. The thought of it made her shudder with excitement. Now, all she had to do was wait. _I'm coming for you Sara Meyer. And I won't take it easy like those washed up has-beens that call themselves journalists._

 **Now things are really heating up! Again, stay tuned for the next chapter! And, if you love it, leave a review and tell your friends about it. I'd love to see what more people think. See you soon!**


	8. Chapter 7: All the Luck in the World

**Another week and another chapter! Hope you guys like this one!**

 **Chapter 7: All the Luck in the World**

Farley woke up to his phone ringing loudly in his ear. Groaning, he rolled over to find his cell phone, frantically reaching for it off to the side of his head. He was still exhausted from all that had happened with Sara, and he just wanted to rest. "Hello?" he spoke into the phone when he picked it up.

"Hello is Farley Davis there?" a familiar bubbly girl asked on the other line.

"Yeah this is him…" Farley yawned, trying to stay awake

"Well, this is Amber from Gentlemen Australia again, and I'm following up on our call yesterday. We just wanted to ask you again if you're interested in sitting down and doing the interview with us," She replied.

Farley rolled his eyes. He knew he was going to be pestered again. They were going to keep hounding him until he gave into an interview. He was dating THE mermaid after all. He really didn't have a choice _Might as well do it and get it over with._ "Yeah, fine, I'd like to do the interview," Farley affirmed. "I think it's something good to talk about."

"Fantastic! How does today at one o'clock sound?" She asked, still bubbly.

"Uh sure... That'll work," Farley responded skeptically. "It's a bit sudden."

"Excellent! We'll send a car to pick you up. See you then!" And then, she hung up on him, not even addressing how sudden it was.

Farley looked at his phone in confusion and immediate feelings of regret. This whole thing was over the top. _Why the hell am I doing this? I'm a goddamn merman, I can't reveal myself this easily. I mean… I guess I can do this one interview. How much harm could it do?_ Farley quickly dialed Sara's number. He needed to check up and see how she was doing going on day two. And, he had to make sure that his interview was the right thing to do. He hoped, at least, Sara would give him some amount of advice before he went into it.

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Sara was half asleep when Farley called, her phone buzzing loudly. She frantically scrambled for her phone, accidentally slapping it halfway across the room. _Shit shit!_ She thought as she pulled herself quickly out of bed and bounded once across the room to pick up her phone where it landed. "Hey!" she exclaimed when she put the phone to her ear.

"How's my lovely and beautiful mermaid girlfriend doing today?" Farley asked.

Sara merely rolled her eyes at the comment. "Doing quite dandy I'd say," she joked. "At least for now. I have no clue what diabolical plans Zane and Denman have for me today. And what am I supposed to do now? Live a normal life? Impossible. At least it's summertime and we don't have to go to school for a few months."

"I would call Zane then," Farley suggested. "You might think he has diabolical plans for you, but I think he wants the best for you, and wants you to be accepted. Either way, he'll have more info for you."

"Ok fine. I can do that." Sara grew silent for a moment. "How are you feeling?" She asked. "We haven't had a good chance to talk about everything that's going on."

"I'm doing alright. I accepted that interview for Gentleman Australia today. Not sure how it'll go down... But, I at least have to act like I'm a normal bloke," Farley responded. "Enough for this whole thing to blow over at least."

"You're normal enough. Even with the whole merman thing."

"Fair. Yet… Unlike Katy, I don't want to go public with my abilities. At all. Or at least for now. I've never wanted the spotlight, and being exposed would only worsen that for me. You remember what happened after I turned into a merman."

"Don't remind me," Sara shuddered, remembering how her moonstruck self tricked Farley into the moon pool. The memory was still fresh.

"Exactly. I know you didn't mean to. But, because it's been so soon, I don't want to go public. I want to at least get my footing going as a merman. I've only been one for like less than three weeks."

"You may not get the option to go public or not," Sara warned. "You have to be prepared if it happens."

"Aye. And if that happens, I will follow your lead in grace and humility," Farley swooned.

Sara smiled. "Careful, don't gas me up too much," she joked.

"What? Me? Never. You're the best person ever," Farley teased. "But seriously call Zane, he or Denman may have events planned for you today. All in pursuit of the celebrity life am I right?"

"Again, don't remind me… But, I might as well try to enjoy it. It's not gonna go away anytime soon," Sara relented.

"Unfortunately so, but we can just try to work together, all of us. Remember everyone is behind you," Farley stated.

"What did I do to deserve all my friends?" Sara joked.

"Well considering how great you are, you just were yourself and we all couldn't resist," Farley teased back.

"Thank you Farley, despite the ultra ego boost," Sara beamed, "I gotta hang up now. I'm gonna call Zane and see what all is going down today."

"Good luck Sara," Farley added.

Sara hung up the phone. _I'll need all the luck in the world._ She joked. Shaking her head and focusing again she dialed Zane's number. He picked it up on the second ring. "Hey mermaid girl, excited for day 2?" Zane asked, with a slight jest.

"About as much as I can be," Sara stated flatly, "Why? What wretched schemes have you cooked up for me?"

"Nothing spectacular."

"Oh geez. See you say that. But, I don't believe you for one second," Sara interrupted, slightly annoyed. "I know how devious you can be at times. Rikki's told me about all your misadventures."

"I'm being dead serious. You did a good job yesterday, and now I only have one thing for you today," Zane added.

"Ok, what is it?" Sara asked.

"It's a photoshoot," Zane spoke. Sara sat up in surprise, but didn't know what to say. "I received a call from a modeling agency and they want to take professional photos of you. They say they want some of you as a human and some of you as a mermaid. They want it is as part of a new collection. It's sure to get you a lot of good attention."

"Is this the price I pay for whoring out my looks and my abilities as a mermaid?" Sara questioned.

"I don't know Sara. I don't have the right answer for you. I only agreed to this for you because I thought it will show people your beauty as a mermaid so they don't have to fear you. If you don't want to this you don't have to," Zane relented.

Sara thought about it for a moment. "No. I'm all in on anything I can do. I want to do this. Being considered a model is better than being considered a monster."

"Mermaid words of wisdom?"

"Something like that," Sara joked.

"Ok, we'll send a driver out soon for you," Zane spoke. "Be ready."

Sara subconsciously moved out toward her window and looked out over the street. The glowing morning sun made the street brighten up. But, she saw two white vans, parked near her house, trying to hard to be inconspicuous. "Uh… I think some paparazzi are outside my house right now…" Sara trailed off.

"They probably want to catch you leaving your house and throw water on you. It's what they do," Zane added.

"That's not what I want though!" Sara exclaimed. "I've seen what those types of people can do to people's reputations… Wait… I have an idea!"

"What is going on?"

"Zane, hold off on that driver for now. I want him to pick me up somewhere else besides my house," Sara planned.

"What are you planning on doing? I don't like where this is going... "

"Oh, you know, just gonna go for a swim," Sara grinned.

"You can't be serious Sara! It's too dangerous!" Zane warned.

"Dangerous? My ass!" Sara proclaimed.

"Wait what? Don't try it."

"Catch ya on the flipside," Sara teased, and she immediately hung up the phone before Zane had a chance to respond. Sara scurried downstairs, eager to get a move on. She stopped at her back door. Sara peered out of the glass door, looking left and right. _They might have people in my bushes ready to take pictures of me if I left this way. Better make this quick._

Sara flung open the door, pounding down toward her family's small pier. She didn't know if someone was taking photos of her or not, but she didn't care. Within a few seconds she hit the last board of the pier and dove far out over the canal, splashing down deep into the waters.

In ten seconds, her tail appeared, and she smiled. She felt at home under the water. And this was her best way to escape the creeping paparazzi. _I'm swimming right now. Don't be alarmed or anything._ She sent to Mia, Katy, and Farley. _If I have to be open about being a mermaid, I'm not going to be ashamed of it._

With that declaration, Sara shot forward. She swung her massive tail muscle back and forth, feeling the joy of rocketing swiftly through the water. Sara had a plan in mind. After six months of navigating the canals underwater, she had a good idea of where she was going.

Sara emptied out into the marina, ending up on the far side, away from curious onlookers. Sure enough, tucked away at one of the farthest docking stations was the Redemption, bobbing up and down calmly in the tide. Sara stayed underwater, bracing herself against its hull, planning her next move. She pulled herself free, then with a massive tail stroke, broke free of the water's surface.

Now airborne, she twisted herself forward, just enough to move her body's momentum in order to land directly onto the deck of the Redemption. Sara skidded along a section of the floor upon landing. She winced as a small pain lashed her side, but she made it onto Denman's ship without too much notice.

Laura happened to round the corner from the bridge at that time, almost dropping her phone when she saw Sara suddenly appear on the deck. "Hey!" Sara announced cheekily.

"What in the hell are you doing here?" Laura questioned. "And why are you in your tail now? And how did you even get here?"

"Oh don't ask so many questions," Sara joked. "But I swam here. Because I swam here. And, I swam here. There, those were the answers to all three of your questions."

"Oh… Well isn't it dangerous to swim now? You don't know who's placed cameras in the water," Laura warned.

"Ugh. You sound like both Zane and Denman. I'm fine! Besides, I'm already public. And I refuse to let some unknown fear of some asshole with a camera prevent me from swimming," Sara proclaimed. "It's more Mia, Katy, and Farley who have to worry about it."

Denman came out of the bridge then, instantly spotting Sara. "I thought I heard your voice, Sara. What brings you here?" she asked.

"Well, Zane set me up with a photoshoot today. He was gonna send a driver to my house, but I wanted to escape the paparazzi. So instead, I'm gonna have him send the driver here. Pretty cool trick huh?" Sara beamed.

"I guess so… But still, now that you're public, you have to be careful about your swimming. We don't know who might want to catch you, now that people know what you are," Denman explained.

Sara used her powers to collect all the water from herself, tossing it off onto the deck. Her legs returned in a shimmer, and she stood up to face Laura and Denman. "Like I said before, I'm not gonna let some fear prevent me from being myself," Sara spoke.

"Any news from your friends?" Laura asked.

"Not yet. But, Farley's doing his interview with Gentleman Australia today. He figured doing one interview wouldn't hurt him. Then, he can 'disappear' in a way with little speculation, and nobody is gonna suspect he's a merman. It's a plan in place for now," Sara explained.

"You seem to be more confident and optimistic today," Denman noted.

"Well…." Sara paused, "This whole thing isn't ideal at all. My life is fucked, but at least I can fight back. I'm just trying to make the best out of a rough situation. I can't control me being public now, so I might as well just be myself and go from there."

"I'm glad you've come to terms with your exposure."

"Oh I would've rather it not happen at all. And, I hate the girl that did it. But, there's nothing I can do about it now. So, in a way, yes I've come to terms with it. It's the new normal I have to deal with now. I have to get used to it."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Blake and Mia sat next to each other on a secluded section of beach. So far they had avoided any unwanted attention from journalists. But even so, to get to their spot, they took a long and winding route to avoid any possible followers. The two of them stared out of over the open water, enjoying the silence.

Blake turned to Mia. "How are you coping with everything that's gone on?" he asked politely. "We haven't really had a chance to unwind and debrief with just the two of us."

"I don't know… I really want to support Sara with everything she's dealing with. But still, the closer I am to her, the higher likelihood I get revealed," Mia replied, unsure of herself.

"You do realize it may happen either way," Blake noted.

"I know that! Blake, I'm glad that you're here with me now, but you have no idea of the fear that Farley, Katy, and I are feeling right now. You don't have a tail, so nothing worse can happen to you than it can to the three of us."

"I'm with you no matter what Mia. And you're right, I can't possibly understand. I just want to be realistic. You may be exposed in the near future."

Mia put her face in her hands. "I know I know. I just don't want to think about it. I just wished that thing never happened to Sara."

"Do you hate her for it?"

"Not at all. From what it sounds like, it wasn't her fault. And we have to work together no matter what. We can't let the evil people win."

"That's the spirit!" Blake beamed.

Mia playfully punched Blake in the shoulder. "Oh whatever. I'll be fine. Even if I do get revealed. I can at least fix it on my terms. All four of us mers working together."

"What about the others? Like... Rikki, Bella, Cleo, and Elliot's sister?"

"They're out of the loop for now. Best to keep them like this. They haven't had this happen to them before, so they're no help to us. As long as they stay away, their secrets are most likely going to be safe. I hope." Mia grew silent, staring out over the ocean waters. The sunlight glittered off the blue pane, casting a glow across the beach. She sighed. "Oh, as much as I want to swim to Mako Island right now, it's impossible. Who knows what stupid divers are out there, trying to take a picture of what they believe to be Sara roaming the waters. And instead, they'll get a picture of me instead. Then boom, there goes the whole secret thing."

"True. At least for the near future. Gold Coast is gonna be crawling with those people for some time. They might even think there are more mermaids out there and are willing to do anything for proof."

Mia sighed. "I guess this is the new normal we have to deal with. We're all teenagers, barely sure of how the world works. Yet, we're forced into this position and having to make tough decisions we never should have to make. Not even you in your sheer optimism can figure out a way that our situation actually is amazing."

"Maybe you're right. Right now, a lot of things look bleak, we don't know what we're doing, and we're improvising everything right now. But… we have to have hope and faith that everything will turn out ok, no matter what."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sara waited impatiently on the Redemption for Zane's driver to arrive. She sat in Denman's office, annoyed and bored. Even so, there was a tiny bit of her happy to enjoy some amount of silence, even if it was met with extreme boredom. Denman was doing some work behind her desk. Elliot sat at his computer, scanning the stories people were running about Sara. He had somehow become her de-facto informant. Anything important people were saying about her on social media on the news was analyzed by him.

"Anything new?" Sara asked Elliot.

"Not really… Although, Gentleman Australia did put out a tweet that they're going to be interviewing Farley today. So that's a thing. The interview is supposed to release tomorrow morning sometime on youtube. I'm worried though. With Farley being a merman, people talking about him might get him exposed. But, it's something every one of us are going to face sometime," Elliot rambled. "And… I think people are less likely to suspect a merman exists. They are less prevalent in the zeitgeist of culture right now."

"I know… But, we also want people to think nothing is special about him, like merman special. He's great otherwise. I'm worried as well about Mia and Katy, don't get me wrong. But, people tend to be more interested in who's dating who rather than who's friends with who. That'll at least save them for now at least," Sara concluded.

"Maybe. But even so, I advise caution," Elliot added.

"Thank you wise master," Sara mocked. "Anyway, what are people saying about Farley so far?"

"Well a few people have called him a, quote, 'Lucky Bastard' for being able to date you. A lot of the blokes online are jealous of your relationship. Apparently dating a mermaid is the 'in thing' now I suppose," Elliot responded with a tinge of sarcasm.

"Well, not many will obviously get that opportunity. There are, at least to my knowledge, 1, 2, 3…. Seven, mermaids in existence. Me, Mia, Katy, your sister, Bella, Cleo, and Rikki. And, your sister has a boyfriend right?" Elliot nodded in response. "Ok, so all of us have boyfriends. So nobody new will get that opportunity to date us, unless of course one of us were to break up, but that's a whole different thing."

"What if there are more mermaids we don't know about?" Elliot asked.

"That's always possible. But come on, who else knows the secret to being a mermaid? Basically nobody," Sara added. "And, how it happens is an extremely rare happenstance."

"You still haven't told us how to do it," Denman spoke up.

"I know. Again, it's the whole 'the less people that know the better' kind of thing. I'm sorry Denman," Sara replied. "Maybe one day. But not today."

"Someday it may be necessary, but I suppose it will suffice for now," Denman grumbled, still discontent.

Sara was about to respond when her phone buzzed. It was a text from Zane. "I'm here with the driver parked next to the marina. Better get here quickly before people know you're here," it read.

"Ok. The driver's here. I'm off to my photoshoot," Sara spoke quickly. "Damn, that really does make me sound like a stuck-up bitch doesn't it."

"Oh it's fine," Denman spoke. "Go have fun and feel beautiful."

Sara nodded. She opened the door and snuck out of thee office. Carefully, she looked down the marina, but didn't see anyone in sight. Sara hurried down the gangplank and onto the wood of the dock. Careful to avoid contact with anyone, she walked briskly toward the edge of the marina where Zane was parked.

Nobody seemed to be around, but even so, Sara didn't want to take any chances and possibly be spotted. She would most likely be recognized almost immediately. So, she kept her head down and walked straight ahead.

When she left the marina and climbed up to street level, she spotted Zane's car, and he waved her over from the passenger seat. "Hey! It's Sara Meyer! The Mermaid!" someone shouted.

Sara turned left and saw a crowd of people walking toward her, phones being pulled out. In a moment, pictures were being taken of Sara left and right before she could react. _Shit!_ Sara turned quickly toward Zane's car, beginning to push her way through the flash of cameras and mass of people.

She was five steps away from Zane's car when a voice rang out over the crowd. "Hey mermaid girl! Catch!" Sara turned toward the voice only to get soaked by an arching stream of water tossed into the air.

Sara felt her blood boil as she stood still for a moment, soaking wet, the cameras still going. The people pressed in, wanting to see a transformation. Sara wouldn't allow it. Still with time to spare, Sara pushed her way assertively through the crowd until she finally reached Zane's car at the curb. With her last few seconds, she dove into the backseat, slamming the door behind her.

In an instant, her tail appeared in a shimmer, shoving itself tight up against the window. Zane spun from the passenger seat. "Sara! Are you alright?" he inquired quickly.

"Oh, just fine and dandy!" Sara joked. "I always wanted to see if a seven foot long mermaid could fit into the backseat of a normal sedan. Turns out today is my lucky day!" 

Zane smirked. "Well, being revealed sure hasn't made your snark and wit any less apparent."

"Thanks broseph," Sara rolled her eyes. "Let's just get out of here. I'm sick of this crowd."

"Roger that," Zane called back as he turned to face forward in his seat. Sara just sighed, waiting patiently for her body to dry as the car sped away toward her photoshoot.

"Where… exactly are we going?" Sara asked curiously.

"We're actually heading to the Marine Park," Zane informed.

"Again? We were just there yesterday… Shit, all of that was yesterday. Oh man, so much has happened," Sara moaned.

"Yes. And yes, a lot has happened since you were revealed. But anyway, back to it. The people running the photoshoot want to take some shots of an 'underwater scene' and the best thing we have without going out into the actual ocean is some of the more natural pools at the Marine Park. Luckily, the Marine Park administration went along with it. No doubt they're also getting a fat check for it as well."

"Well, at least there won't be too many of me being a beached whale," Sara chuckled.

"Of course not! You're not fat enough to be a whale," Zane joked dryly.

Sara reached up and punched Zane hard in the shoulder. "You know I used to be a very overweight child right?" Sara chastised.

"I… forgot that…" Zane stammered.

"Figures. You're a good manager Zane. Sometimes your humor needs a little work though," Sara added.

"Duly noted," Zane replied. "Rikki thinks the same way."

The rest of the car ride was mostly silent as they continued toward the Marine Park. Sara was somewhat skeptical, yet undoubtedly a bit excited.

 **I can't wait to release the next few chapters out to you! It's gonna pick up speed from here! Again, if you love it, review, follow, and tell a friend! I'll get back to you soon!**


	9. Chapter 8: Into the Limelight

**I have a confession. This week, I did no writing whatsoever. I started reading this novel series called Talon. And I cannot put it down. Luckily I had enough time to get this chapter out to you. But, I do suggest that all of you check out the book Talon if you like H2O. It would take way too long to explain in this author's note. But it's really good, I swear. That is my unsolicited recommendation of the week.**

 **Anyway, on to the chapter!**

 **Chapter 8: Into The Limelight**

Farley stared out the front window of his house. The street seemed mostly empty, somewhat, but he knew that wasn't completely true. Two nondescript vans stood a house down from Sara, on opposite sides. Farley knew what they were. Journalists, paparazzi, photographers, reporters, and possibly others. Farley did not know, but yet did not care who they were. All he knew was that whoever was in the vans were ready in case Sara came out of her house. Most likely they wanted to douse her with water and film the chaos that ensued. _I wonder how much money they get per picture of Sara in her tail. Enough to sell their souls. No sane person could do that without remorse._ Farley contemplated. _Unless they've convinced themselves that Sara isn't human. Which is the worst case scenario._

It was surprise, then, when Sara messaged him telepathically not soon after telling him that she had already known about the vans, and instead swam all the way to Denman's boat in the marina. Farley was about to criticize her move, but Sara shooed it away, telling him that she wasn't going to be scared about being herself. Farley smiled to himself, admiring Sara's spunky and stubborn nature showing its head as it usually did.

Soon, as the day approached the afternoon, a lone car pulled into Farley's driveway. The driver got out. He was a small chubby man, but he had a jolly face on, like if Santa was clean-shaven and middle-aged. He had an official looking limousine driver outfit on. _Is this the man from Gentleman Australia?_ The driver knocked on the door three times. Farley cautiously approached the door and opened it partially, sticking his head out in the crack. "Can I help you?" Farley asked warily.

"I am looking for one Farley Davis. I'm supposed to pick him up and take him to the office of Gentleman Australia," The driver spoke with panache.

"Do you have any form of ID?" Farley questioned, increasingly skeptical. He wanted to trust the man, but with everything that had been happening, Farley didn't want to take any chances with frauds trying to take advantage of him.

The driver sighed and pulled a leather bound cover out of his back pocket and flipped it open. Inside was a very official looking ID card with his picture, name, seal, and everything. "Is everything squared away?" He asked, somewhat annoyed almost.

"Yes. I am Farley Davis," Farley spoke. "It's good to meet you."

"Excellent Mr. Davis. Right this way please." The driver turned about-face, walking back down the path toward his car. He didn't bother to glance over his shoulder to see if Farley was following. Farley merely shrugged and followed the driver. The driver stopped right at the back passenger door and opened it, gesturing Farley inside, who climbed into the back seat without a second word.

Farley looked out the window as the driver wordlessly drove down his street and toward the city. He didn't know what to expect for his interview. What was he supposed to answer anyway? Farley didn't have an answer. He only hoped he was doing the right thing and it wouldn't come back to bite him.

Sometime later, they arrived at their destination. Farley fidgeted in his seat as the driver pulled into a parking garage connected to a large office building in the middle of downtown. The dark interior made it all the more creepy, as Farley felt that his future was very uncertain. The driver pulled out into a stall right next to a set of double doors. An older man in a suit and glasses stood at the door, standing casually. "We are here," the driver stated.

"Uh… Thanks," Farley stated nonchalantly.

"Hey. Good luck out there," the driver added.

"I might need it," Farley joked, and he stepped out of the car.

The man in the suit immediately stepped up to meet Farley as soon as he had both feet on the ground. He placed out his hand and firmly grasped Farley's right hand in a strong handshake before Farley could even react in time. "Good to meet you. You must be Farley Davis right?" he asked.

"Y-yeah, that's me," Farley replied, slightly overwhelmed.

"I'm John Westin. Good to finally get you here," he spoke. "I'm the HR Manager and assistant to the CEO of Gentleman Australia."

"Good to meet you…" Farley trailed off, a little intimidated, feeling out of his league.

"It's good to meet you as well. Come, let's get you ready for your interview," Mr. Westin beckoned calmly, and he stepped back through the doors. Farley followed close behind, feeling slightly overwhelmed. _What have I gotten myself into?_ He questioned to himself.

"What, does this whole thing entail?" Farley asked as they continued walking through the hallways.

"We are going to just ask you some questions about what it's like dating a mermaid, how you got involved with her, what your life is like, and any advice you have to give our subscribers," John Westin explained.

"Oh… Is that it? No need to interrogate me on how it's like to have sex with a mermaid? Something your subscribers can try in real life?" Farley deadpanned, trying to break his anxiety with bad humor.

"Ha. You got jokes. I like it. But yes, that is the gist of what this interview is going to be. Shouldn't be anything too rigorous I believe. We are going to publish the video of the interview on both YouTube and our own website, as well as publishing the transcript later this month in our magazine release," John added.

"Sounds pretty routine then."

"Yes and No. Never before have we had someone dating a mermaid in our studio before. Not as easy to find questions to ask to interview you. But, even so, we're happy to have you here."

Farley shrugged. "I knew a lot of media outlets would want to talk to me about our relationship. I just thought I should get it over with and talk about it. Better than people wildly speculating who I am, what our relationship is like, or other questions. So, I might as well do a few interviews."

"I'm glad you chose to do it with us," John beamed. "We're expecting a huge wave of publicity from it."

"I'm happy I could help you get a lot of press off the back of my relationship," Farley deadpanned.

"You're going to get a lot of great publicity from this as well. Don't worry, this interview won't be bad at all." Farley was led by Mr. Westin to his dressing room. "We'll get you ready soon for your interview," John explained. "But for now, sit back and relax."

Farley stepped into the room, closing the door behind him. He sat in the chair facing the mirror. He gazed deeply into his soft brown eyes. _I'm not ready for this. But, this is what I need to do. For myself, for Sara, and for everyone. It's time for me to do my part._

Eventually, workers came in, preparing him for being in front the camera. It was the first time anyone had put makeup on him before, and Farley felt a little awkward as the makeup artist patted his cheeks. They gave him a casual yet classy outfit and smoothed out his hair. Soon, Farley looked at himself in the mirror. His chin seemed more defined a strong, and he had a deep mystery to him. _Not that I'm going to complain about this part._ He joked to himself. _They actually made me look pretty cool and attractive._

Soon enough, Mr. Westin came into his room, tablet in hand. "Ready to go?" he asked of Farley.

"I think I am," Farley replied. "Might as well give the people what they want."

"That's the spirit! Ok. Let's get you to set so we can begin." Farley stood up and followed Mr. Westin out of the room. Soon, they entered a set of double doors. Pushing through, they came into a small room, smaller than Farley anticipated. He raised an eyebrow in suspicion. Too large cushioned chairs stood apart from each other, with a small end table in between them. A small bottle with whiskey stood on the table, two glasses to the side of that. Farley scowled at the small scene. Two cameras pointed at each chair from a cross angle.

"So… How is this going to go down?" Farley asked inquisitively.

"Our interviewer will come out, you'll both sit down and we'll film you both during the interview. It shouldn't be too difficult," Mr. Westin explained.

"What's with this whole decor though?"

"It's a nice touch don't you think?"

"I guess so. You do know that I'm too young to drink the whiskey right?"

"Oh of course. It's not for drinking. It's just for the decor. And the product placement for the whiskey company of course."

Farley chuckled at the oddity. He stepped up onto the stage, taking a seat on one of the large cushioned chairs. He casually eyed the whiskey bottle. _Hmm… Guten Bourbon. The Urban German bourbon. Ha, I guess as long as they get their advertisement money,_ Farley thought to himself.

Soon, another man stepped up onto the set, walking over toward Farley. He had neatly combed black hair, clean face, and seemed almost like a model. He was mid-twenties, and appeared confident and charismatic. "G'day Mr. Davis. I'm Adam Parding. I'll be your interviewer today," he introduced himself.

"Good to meet you Mr. Parding," Farley spoke, feeling the sense of anxiety and being overwhelmed creep up on him again.

"Alright, places people!" Mr. Westin announced. "We start shooting in two minutes."

People scrambled all over setting the boom microphone, setting up the cameras to the correct position and focus, and checking adjustments to both Farley and Adam's makeup and attire. "Hey, any advice before we start filming?" Farley asked Adam quietly.

"Just be yourself Farley. Act natural. Think that the camera doesn't exist out there. If you're anything like your girlfriend, you'll do great," Mr. Parding offered, before taking his seat. "It'll just be you and me. Think of it as an informal conversation between acquaintances."

Farley nodded, even though he was still a bit apprehensive. He gulped, then breathed slowly to calm his nerves. When he felt ready, he sat down in his chair across from Adam. _Here I go into the limelight. Whether I want to or not. This is for Sara._

"Alright, let's start in five, four three, two…" Mr. Westin spoke, before pointing up at Adam.

"Welcome to Gentleman Australia. I'm Adam Parding," he spoke. "Today, I have a special guest with me. Someone who might have some advice for our young men about life and dating. Especially since his girlfriend is the mermaid. May I introduce to you, Mr. Farley Davis."

Farley waved to the camera, trying to act as casual as he could with a camera pointed at him. "It's good to be here Adam," Farley spoke. "I hope to answer the questions as best as I can. I want people to be inspired by my life."

"And they should be very inspired. You are dating the mermaid, Sara Meyer, after all. A lot of men out there would love to have your life. Speaking of which, how did you and Ms. Meyer meet?" Adam asked.

"Six months ago, I moved into the house across the street from her. She waved at me and smiled the first time I saw her, and I had a huge crush on her after that, even before I knew she was a mermaid. I decided to approach her at school and introduce myself. We just, kind of hit it off from there," Farley answered.

"Since you didn't know about her mermaid abilities at first, when did you find out about her secret?" Adam asked.

Farley quickly remembered Sara's made up story from her previous press conference. "It was sometime after our first real date. We weren't officially a couple yet, but we were kind of a thing if that makes sense. We both definitely wanted to be in a relationship with each other, but it hadn't reached that point yet. Anyway, when I came over for one of our next dates, she wasn't quite ready and was finishing up in the bathroom. I just casually sat in her room and tapped my foot, hoping her father wouldn't come in and furiously intimidate me. I heard her fall to the ground in a large crash. I immediately rushed in, fearing something terrible had happened, that she had hurt herself or worse. And, that's when I saw her as a mermaid."

"What was your first reaction when you saw her like that? It must've been quite a shock."

"Without a doubt, I was completely stunned at first. I didn't expect it at all. That's not a usual thing that happens in life. When I saw her, I immediately fell backwards, almost fainting. But, she explained everything to me after this and we came to an understanding. My crush for her basically doubled from there. There wasn't any doubt after that. I knew I for sure wanted to date her." Farley smiled, he loved being able to talk about his relationship with Sara. Plus, it felt good to brag a little bit.

The other questions went smoothly for Farley. All he had to do was tell the truth, embellish a few stories, and it was a piece of cake. "Well, Farley, we only have a couple more questions to ask you," Adam spoke. "What's your favorite part about dating Ms. Meyer, taking away the mermaid part?"

"I would have to say her passion and tenacity. She's very motivated, strong-willed, and confident. And, I really respect that about her," Farley beamed. "I love her for that, more than anything. She honestly impresses me with everything she does. Just be prepared for her snarky comebacks though. Although, she is really funny with them. And that's not even speaking about her mermaid abilities"

"I love to hear that Farley. With Sara being a mermaid as she is, there must be more to what's going on. Do you have any special abilities as well, that you both share?" Adam asked.

Farley froze. He panicked, grasping for any answer he could find. He couldn't reveal now that he was a merman. "Me? No of course not. I'm just, painfully normal as it were," Farley chuckled, trying to keep it light. "No. Sara is the special one with the mermaid tail. She's the only one. I'm still surprised to this day that she wanted to date me."

Mr. Parding smiled. "Well, thank you for spending time with us today Farley. It's been a wonderful time being able to talk to you."

"Thanks for having me Adam," Farley announced.

Mr. Parding turned to the camera. "On behalf of myself and Gentleman Australia, we are proud to have Farley Davis here. Hopefully he's inspired you with his story about how a normal bloke was able to date a beautiful mermaid. And as always, stay classy."

"And Cut!" John Westin announced. "Well done both of you." He stepped up onto the stage.

Farley breathed a sigh of relief, slinking down in his chair, trying to breathe normally. The interview was fun, but it took a lot out of him. "What's next Mr. Westin?" he asked curiously.

"You're all done Farley. You did an amazing job. You did exactly what we needed you to do," Mr. Westin congratulated. "We'll have our driver take you home soon. But for now, relax."

Farley yawned. He was excited to be done with the interview. Maybe then, he would fade away into a sort of mini obscurity. He didn't want to be revealed, so he needed to stay out of the limelight as much as possible. He only hoped that that would actually come to pass.


	10. Chapter 9: The Model Mermaid

**Chapter 9: The Model Mermaid**

Sara's car pulled into the staff parking lot in the back of the Marine Park, the exact same lot she had gone to the day before, just before her "presentations". _Deja Vu right now,_ She chuckled to herself. Sara and Zane exited the car, with Sara wincing at the bright sun. "Good to go?" Zane asked.

"Yeah, mostly," Sara replied. "Might as well have some fun with this." And, the two of them walked up to the back gate. It wasn't but a moment when Laurie appeared on the other side, smiling as he saw Sara.

"Ms. Meyer! You're back!" Laurie exclaimed. "It's good to have you here." Laurie quickly unlocked the gate, letting the two of them into the park.

"G'Day Laurie," Zane stated. "What's been going on since yesterday?"

"You wouldn't believe the effect Ms. Meyer's demonstration yesterday had. Attendance at the Marine Park for both yesterday and today are off the charts! These have been the two biggest days in ticket sales for the park in over a decade! You really are something special Ms. Meyer," Laurie beamed.

"Well, being the only mermaid in existence certainly does have its effect on people," Sara shrugged. "I only do what I can."

"But still, the amount of young kids now who are interested in studying marine biology is increasing, especially young females. It's truly amazing. You're a newfound role model for young girls," Laurie put in.

"Huh. Because I'm a mermaid? I don't think that's something girls can actually look up to for marine biology," Sara mentioned. "I'm not a scientist."

"Doesn't really matter. You get them interested in the mysteries of the ocean, and then science will take it from there. Soon, we'll have a lot of fantastic women in Marine Biology just like Dr. Denman."

Sara felt Zane wince behind her at the mention of Denman. Sara didn't blame him after hearing about the history between Zane and Dr. Denman. Heck, if she was in Zane's shoes, she wouldn't trust Denman at all either. But still, Sara knew that both Denman and Zane were great allies for her. And the fact they could work together for Sara's sake despite what all had happened made it even better.

Laurie led the way winding through the hallways of the back part of the Marine Park. "So, our main natural and ocean simulation tank with coral, rock formations, sand, etc. will be ready soon for your modeling day. But first, we need to take you to meet the people running your photoshoot today. I'm only the liaison of the Marine Park today," Laurie explained. "So I've helped prep all areas you will be using."

"What are we doing today?" Sara questioned. "Do you have any idea beyond using the natural tank?"

"I really don't have an idea? I would ask them though. They know more about it then I do."

"But who are they?" Sara asked as they rounded a corner.

"Welcome back Ms. Meyer," A familiar voice spoke strongly. Sara looked up to see none other then Helena Montgomery standing in the next room, with a more timid looking Lizzy standing slightly behind. _What's going on here?_ Sara questioned.

"Good to see you again," Helena spoke confidently, stepping up to shake Sara's hand. Lizzy stayed back a few steps, seemingly shy.

"Uh… Likewise," Sara stated flatly. "What are you doing here? I thought you were a Vice-President at ABN?"

"Oh I am. And, ABN also has a modeling agency attached to it. And, that is why I am here right now. Plus, the board think it wise that I be here rather than some random person who you don't know at all," Helena explained quickly. "They thought it would make you more comfortable, especially since, as I understand, you have no experience in modeling."

"Ok. So what's the plan here today?" Sara asked, trying to stay focused.

"Straight ahead with business. I like it," Helena stated. "Lizzy here will take you to your dressing room, and we'll get you ready with hair, makeup, wardrobe just like yesterday. Then we'll get some shots of you in your legs in a few different outfits. Then, you will turn into your mermaid self, and we'll take pictures of you on dry land. After that, we'll get you into the pool and you'll just do your normal swimming thing, and divers will take pictures of you underwater in a 'natural environment' so to speak, and that's about it. All you need to do is look beautiful and mermaid-like, and that should be easy for you."

"Right. Ok. Sounds like a plan," Sara added, turning to Lizzy. "Shall we go?"

"Y-yes! Of course! Right this way!" Lizzy stammered, turning about face and walking toward another hallway to lead Sara to her dressing room.

Sara sighed and followed right behind Lizzy. She kept looking back at Sara with a beaming smile on her face. Sara had to chuckle a bit. Even though this was the second time being with Sara, and probably not the last, Lizzy was still impressively starstruck.

A small unused storage room had been converted into Sara's dressing room. It looked gray and depressing though, even if it had the exact same setup Sara saw the previous day at ABN. "Well…. Here we are!" Lizzy exclaimed. "I just wanted to say, it's so awesome to be able to be working with you again. And... Thank you for giving me another chance to talk to me. You know I really thought about what you said about how you're doing everything like this to show people you're human, and I like totally understand, and I'm really sorry that I wanted to take advantage of you like some…"

"Lizzy," Sara stated quickly, breaking Lizzy out of her ramble. "It's all good, don't worry about it. You're a nice person, and I'm happy to have you here."

Lizzy looked up at Sara with a big smile. "Ok, cool," she spoke, starting to calm down for the first time. "I promise I'm not the total mess that you've seen so far. I'm just very excitable sometimes. And you're the first celebrity I've had the chance to meet."

"But you work for ABN? Shouldn't you meet other celebrities that come for interviews just like me?"

"I've barely been working at ABN for like three weeks. I just graduated high school, and my parents wanted me to get a functional job before heading off to University," Lizzy explained, shrugging. "Or something like that."

"Wait… you just graduated high school?"

"Yeah…?" Lizzy looked a bit skeptical.

"You're older than I am," Sara chuckled. "I'm only seventeen. I still have another year of school left."

"But… you're so cool and mature. How do you do it?"

Sara shrugged. "I guess I had to learn on the fly how to act mature. Six months ago, I had to move halfway across the world to a place I've never been, and within a week I get turned into a mermaid. And now, here I am, revealed to the world as the first mermaid ever. I never wanted to be so cool and mature, I just had to figure it out as I went along."

"Wow… You really are amazing," Lizzy spoke.

"You know something, you make me feel good about life sometimes. Your relentless optimism pushes me to be better. Maybe, that's why I like you Lizzy," Sara spoke.

Lizzy smiled at Sara. Sara returned it. For now, she felt like she had made a great friend. That made the day and future feel bright. This was how she could impact people, by being the friendly, funny, and inspiring person that she knew she could be.

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Within thirty minutes, Sara was back in the main room. She had makeup applied once again by impressive artists, and a few different outfits gathered for the shoot. She had to start out with a long beach dress, deep blue in color, matching her eyes. Now, she stood impatiently as workers arranged the set for the photoshoot. Helena barked orders at several of them, wanting them to hurry their pace. Lizzy stood directly next to Helena, taking quick glances at Sara every once in a while.

Sara went and sat down next to Zane who had gotten a chair a slight ways away from the chaos. "How do you feel?" he asked when Sara sat down.

"I'm actually kinda excited for this. Never thought I'd get to be a model before" Sara responded. "Thanks for setting me up with this."

"You did say earlier today that I was a fantastic manager. So, there you go," Zane smirked. "For all of our… other friends, I promised to do right by you. And that's what I'm going to do, no matter what."

Sara fell silent for a minute. "When does this whole thing end?" She asked, rubbing her temples. "How much longer must I endure this media firestorm? I feel like I've gone through nine chapters of my life, even though it hasn't even been a full two days since I was revealed."

Zane sighed. "I don't know. I wish I had all the answers for you, Sara. You've become an instant celebrity, and I doubt it's going away anytime soon. The reason we're doing this is so people love you. It's some way to soften the blow of your exposure."

Sara didn't respond. She didn't have a retort. Zane was right. She couldn't be exhausted. She had a job to do, and she was going to do it well, all else be damned. It didn't hurt, as well, to have a little fun along the way. She had never modeled for anything in her entire life. Now, some people wanted to turn her into such the model mermaid. She decided that she wasn't going to feel guilty about it.

Just then, Helena approached, a skinny man behind her, sporting an impressive man-bun, big glasses, and thick beard combo; the model hipster. "Ms. Meyer. Let me introduce you to Steven Phillips," Helena spoke, gesturing to the man beside her. "He will be your photographer today. And he's good at what he does."

"Don't brag for me, I'd rather let my skills speak for themselves," Steven touted, crossing his arms in a camp manner. Sara stood up to shake his hand. "Honored though to meet you Ms. Mermaid."

 _Ms. Mermaid? What?_ "Pleasure to meet you Mr. Phillips," Sara responded.

"Let me get a good look at you," he spoke, scratching his beard. He stared Sara up and down, thoughtfully analyzing her looks. Sara shifted uncomfortably, unsure of how best to stand or what to think of the shorter hipster looking man staring at her. "Can you turn slowly?" Steven asked. Sara spun around, trying best to seem model-like.

"What do you think?" Sara asked inquisitively.

"Hmmmm….." Steven pondered. "Athletic build, tall, great complexion. Bright blue eyes and golden hair. We have a lot of good to work with. Midwestern American features from combined Germanic and Scandinavian heritage. I'm guessing you've never done modeling work though?"

"Yeah… Never had the opportunity before," Sara responded.

"Well Mermaid girl, you have the right stuff for it. A new career may be in your future. But enough talk! Let us begin!" Before Sara could retort, Steven stepped away, strutting toward the set.

Sara looked to Helena with a questioning look on her face. Helena picked up her thoughts. "Mr. Phillips might seem very over-the-top, eccentric, and unorthodox, but he's one of the best modeling photographers in the Brisbane-Gold Coast area," Helena informed her.

Sara just shrugged and walked back over to the set. A green screen had been draped over the background. "Is this what I'm going to be standing in front of?" Sara asked, somewhat confused.

"But of course! Don't be ridiculous," Mr. Phillips chastised. "Having a green screen is the best way for us to get a variety of different backgrounds! Ugh… Ok, I know you don't have much modeling experience, so I will cut you some slack."

Sara stood in front of the screen, turning back toward Mr. Phillips who was grabbing his camera. "So, are we starting?" she asked.

"By the grace of Cthulhu, yes we are," Steven spoke unironically. Sara only shrugged and rolled her eyes. Over the next half hour, Mr. Phillips put Sara in a variety of different poses, ranging from smiling, to scowling serious looks. She was sitting, standing, lying down, and whatever he asked of her. Despite Mr. Phillips' odd nature, Sara had to admit she was having fun. Soon, she changed from her blue dress into a few sundresses, bikinis, and other swimsuits, getting a different look each time.

Soon, Mr. Phillips adjusted his camera and grabbed a sheet of paper off of his stand. "At ease Sara, rest for a moment," he spoke. Sara breathed out and relaxed. She was happy to have a moment of break. Steven adjusted his glasses, scowling at the sheet in front of him. "Well, now you get to live up to your namesake, Ms. Mermaid as now we will need to do some dry land shots of you as a mermaid."

"Well, here comes the beached whale moment," Sara joked.

A worker came in with a clear plastic apparatus, which curved upward toward the back with a smooth groove designed for something to lay. "We'll need you to place your tail into that groove as you lie on your stomach," Mr. Phillips explained, "It will flip your tail behind you, getting a clean shot of both you and your tail from the front."

Mr. Phillips snapped his finger backward. Lizzy shot up. Apparently that was her cue. She rushed backward toward the refreshments table, grabbing a cup of water from off of it, and quickly hurrying to return. _Oh boy, I bet I know what that's for!_ Sara joked to herself.

Lizzy walked briskly back to set, but she wasn't paying attention to the water in the glass, the top of it began to shake about, splashing water onto the floor. When Lizzy stopped abruptly alongside Helena, the momentum carried the water forward, splashing along down Helena's arm who helped in surprise. "Lizzy! What the hell are you doing?" Helena accused.

"I...I.. I'm s-so sorry Ms. Montgomery. I… Well… It was an accident," Lizzy spoke, "I didn't mean…"

Helena cut her off. "How could you be so reckless? Why do I even have you here? You're basically useless. It's a wonder I don't fire you."

Lizzy was close to tears at Helena's barrage. Sara couldn't just sit back and watch. "Hey!" she exclaimed, getting everyone's attention. Helena scowled at her. Sara focused, undeterred. She walked over toward the two of them. "Come on Helena, give her a break. It was obviously an accident. And, you know Lizzy. She's fiercely loyal and a hard worker. Don't just treat her like she's worthless."

Everyone held their breath. A seventeen year old girl had just defied one of the most powerful VP's in Australian media. Even Zane was taken aback. But this wasn't any girl. This was Sara Meyer, the mermaid, with powers they could only dream of. Helena stared her up and down for a minute. "Ok, Ms. Meyer. Since you seem to be good friends with Ms. Wright here, I will let it go for now. But don't think you can get away with calling me out in the future. You have to know your place as well. But for now, I will allow this to slide," Helena spoke confidently.

"Duly noted," Sara spoke flatly, returning the level of confidence, before returning over to the set, lying down on her stomach. "Lizzy, if you please."

"Yes Ms. Meyer," She stated, walking slower and more controlled with the water to where Sara had laid down. "What do you want me to do?"

"Just pour a little out onto my leg, and then stand back and watch. I'm sure you know what will happen next," Sara replied, smiling up at Lizzy. "And, come on, we're friends now. Call me Sara."

"Right away, Sara," Lizzy replied, smiling back. She then drizzled the glass of water over Sara's leg before jumping back. Then, in ten seconds Sara's tail appeared in a shimmer, just as it always had, replacing her legs. Sara looked outwardly gaging the feeling in the room. Mr. Phillips looked in awe at her tail. Helena and Zane both had very stern and serious looks on their faces. Sara looked to Lizzy who was beaming from ear to ear. Various other workers looked on in complete shock at seeing her.

"Everyone get their good looks in?" Sara asked sarcastically to the gathering of people. She shimmied herself toward the plastic apparatus, trying to fit her tail backwards into the groove. "Lizzy, will you help me situate my tail?"

"Of course!" Lizzy exclaimed before hesitantly placing a hand on Sara's tail. "It's kinda slimy."

"Gross right?" Sara joked.

"I didn't mean… I'm sorry… I…" Lizzy cleared her throat. "Let me help." Lizzy stepped up, more courageously, grabbing Sara's fin and lifting it into place. "How does that feel?"

"Good to me," Sara spoke. "See what you can do when you be confident instead of apologetic."

"I guess you're just a good person to learn from," Lizzy replied.

"Alright, places please," Mr. Phillips spoke up loudly. "I'm done gawking, and now I'm ready to work."

And once again, the camera flashed. Sara smiled, did the poses, and everything that Mr. Phillips asked of her. This time she had Lizzy right by her. If she ever needed to take a new position, Lizzy stepped in and helped maneuver her tail to a good spot so Mr. Phillips could take more shots.

Soon, Mr. Phillips walked away from the set suddenly. "We are all done with this one, let us commune out at the pool deck in thirty so we can set up the underwater shots," He spoke without looking back.

"How does someone work with him without getting exhausted?" Sara asked to the open air, dropping down until her tail was lying flat on the floor.

Lizzy had stepped up and was ready for Sara, and she tossed a towel down to her so she could dry herself. "I wish I knew. You're usually the one who is able to do all this. I have that overwhelmed feeling as well."

Sara quickly dried herself. Now would be the fun part. She hated being on dry land in her tail. It made her seem weak, powerless, and helpless. She viscerally despised that feeling.

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A half hour later, Sara stood on the pool deck of the large natural pool in the Marine Park. She looked down into the waters. Workers in Scuba gear were prepping waterproof lights and speakers below her in order to better light the shoot as well as provide instructions to Sara through the speakers.

Zane stepped up behind her. "You're doing good so far," he spoke. "I also liked how you defended that Lizzy girl."

"I did what I had to do," Sara stated. "She's a good person. A little bit unfocused, but otherwise she's nice and loyal. What more could you ask of a friend?"

"Can the same be said about Mia and Katy?" Zane questioned.

"I can make new friends you know Zane. I love Mia and Katy. We have a bond no one can ever break. Doesn't mean I want to look for something different every now and again. Lizzy is my way of having a somewhat normal friendship."

"Sara, you're a mermaid. Normal isn't really something you do very well," Zane informed.

"Maybe so. But still, I want to be friends with Lizzy no matter what."

Just then, Helena walked up, placing a hand on Sara's shoulder. "You ready to go?" Helena asked.

"Let's do this!" Sara exclaimed. A tinge of sarcasm brushed her statement, more to Sara's catharsis than anything else.

"Right. We'll give you instructions over the speaker underneath the water. Whenever you want, dive on in."

Sara readied herself. This was so much easier and more amazing than being on dry land. So, she dove in. Within ten seconds, her tail appeared and she maneuvered into position. "Sara, do you read me?" Mr. Phillips' voice announced under the water. Sara gave a thumbs up, smiling as she felt the rush of endorphins of being in the water. "Bueno! Let's do this!"

Again, Sara was back to her modeling. This time she enjoyed showing off in her tail. She was relayed instruction by Steven and she changed positions every now and again all over the pool to find the right angle for the underwater photographers. It was a lot of work, but Sara found joy in it.

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Some time later, Sara collapsed in the back of Zane's car exhausted. It had been a harsh day for her once again. Zane pulled into the front seat once again, and they were off to home for Sara. "So what did you think of that modeling gig?" Zane asked. "I must be a great manager being able to get that for you."

"Careful you don't dislocate your shoulder patting yourself on the back that hard," Sara joked. "But, then again, I did enjoy it. It was a good time. Never thought I would be considered a model before. Thank you for getting me this Zane."

"No problem. Again, if you get worshipped as a celebrity, although not ideal, it is better than hatred and anger," Zane added.

"I'll say we've done good these two days wouldn't you say?"

"Best as we could possibly have done. And, it seems to be working for now. But, we just have to hold on and see if it sticks."

"That's the best we can hope for," Sara added. She didn't know where the future would go from there. But, it was the best she could muster.

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